Survey of Knowledge and Attitude Toward Emergency Contraceptive Method Among Married Women in Reproductive Age Group

Abstract

Background: Unwanted pregnancy (UP) is a worldwide problem. UP mainly results from the improper or lack of use of effective contraceptive methods. Hormonal emergency contraceptive (EC) is a method of family planning that reduces UP among women in reproductive age. We assessed the knowledge and attitudes of EC among married women in the reproductive age group. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 225 married women aged 15 to 49 years, who were referred to hospitals in Tehran Medical Branch during 2014 and 2015, were studied. Required data were collected through interviews and a questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for internal consistency was 0.85, the validity of the questionnaire was detected using content validity, and its reliability was 0.973. Data were analyzed by SPSS 14.0 statistical software. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Women with a mean age of 27.3 ± 3.2 were studied. Significant statistical differences were found between the respondents’ education and awareness (P = 0.02). There was a significant relationship between knowledge and current contraceptive method, with a confidence level of 90% (P = 0.013). About 38.6% of women were aware of the general perception, whereas 61.4% were not aware of it at all. In the target group, 22.6% and 73.3% had positive and negative attitudes toward the use of EC method, respectively, and 4% were neutral on this issue. Conclusions: UP is one of the most important problems in Iran. Increasing the quality of family plan consoling in health centers and emphasizing the advantages of EC method to promote positive attitudes among women are highly recommended. Timely prevention may decrease adverse consequences for the mother and child.