Abstract
BackgroundAwareness of emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) associated with an intention to use other contraceptive methods has rarely been investigated. This study compared the ECP awareness of males and females and its associations with intention to use four other contraceptive methods (condoms, oral contraceptive pills, and withdrawal and rhythm methods) in unmarried university students in Korea. This study explores the importance of ECP awareness in university students’ contraceptive education.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed, in which 1372 unmarried university students (men, n = 755, women, n = 617) answered a Web-based survey. Sex differences in ECP awareness and four contraceptive intentions, and associations between ECP awareness and contraceptive intentions between sex were analysed using independent t-tests and χ2 test. Variables yielding significant associations with contraceptive intentions (p < 0.05) were included in a logistic regression using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) to estimate the impact of ECP awareness on students’ contraceptive intentions.ResultsAwareness of ECP was found in 88.2 % of participants, which was generally positive. There were significant sex differences in some ECP awareness and students’ contraceptive intentions, and in the associations between previous ECP use and ECP awareness between male and female university students. In men, the belief that “ECP can cause sex with multiple partners” was associated with intention to use the rhythm method (AOR = 1.61, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–2.56). For women, the belief that “ECP is necessary in case of condom breakage” was associated with intention to use the withdrawal (AOR = 058, 95 % CI = 0.37–0.93) or rhythm (AOR = 0.36, 95 % CI = 0.16–0.84) methods, and “ECP should be prescribed by a doctor” was associated with the intention to use the rhythm method (AOR = 0.45, 95 % CI = 0.26–0.77).ConclusionsECP awareness was associated with the intentions of students to use withdrawal or rhythm methods. The sex-specific approach in the examination of students’ contraceptive intentions and their determinants was helpful.
Highlights
Awareness of emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) associated with an intention to use other contraceptive methods has rarely been investigated
The rate of ECP use by Korean university students aged 17 to 30 years was found to be 13.2 % in a survey reported in 2008 [2], but the reported rate of ECP use was only 0.9 % in Korean middle- and high-school students [10]. This means that ECP were used more by Korean university students than by adolescents, but it appears that ECP cannot be considered as a convenient method of contraception for Korean university students
This study aimed to compare ECP awareness in males and females and its associations with contraceptive intentions, including condom use, oral contraceptive pills, and the withdrawal and rhythm methods, which are the most popularly used by Korean university students
Summary
Awareness of emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) associated with an intention to use other contraceptive methods has rarely been investigated. This study compared the ECP awareness of males and females and its associations with intention to use four other contraceptive methods (condoms, oral contraceptive pills, and withdrawal and rhythm methods) in unmarried university students in Korea. There are increasing trends of premarital sex, unwanted pregnancy, and abortion with a lack of successful contraception among university students in Korea [1, 2] These university students are considered to be vulnerable to sexual health problems especially at this stage of their. One study found that the students’ positive attitudes toward ECP use was associated with higher intentions to use a condom [2], but the Korean students’ ECP awareness in relation to their intention to use other contraceptive methods was not explored
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