Knowledge Of Emergency Contraceptive Pills Research Articles

Do Indian women know about and use the emergency contraceptive pill? An analysis of nationally representative data from 2005–06 and 2019–21

Abstract The emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) is a post-coital contraceptive method that prevents unintended pregnancy and is useful in specific circumstances. This study examined the awareness and use of the ECP in India, as there is scarce evidence in this area to guide policy development. This study used data from the 2005–06 (n = 124 385) and 2019–21 (n = 724 115) rounds of the National Family Health Survey of India. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were applied to explore how demographic characteristics including age, education (none, primary, secondary, higher), wealth quintile, place of residence (urban, rural), marital status, parity, desire for children, whether current pregnancy was wanted, whether the women had had an abortion in the past 5 years, and whether current use of contraceptive methods affected the likelihood of knowledge and use of ECP. In the past 15 years, knowledge of ECP has increased by 37 percentage points but still remains relatively low at 48%. Less than 1% of the sample (0.55%) used ECP. Women aged 30–34 years, from wealthier and more educated backgrounds, living in urban areas, and currently using condoms had a higher likelihood of using ECP in comparison with women from age group 15–19 years, those from the poorest backgrounds, those with no education, those living in rural areas and those not using any contraceptive method, respectively. In comparison to married women, never-married women exhibited a higher awareness of ECP but lower use. More efforts must be made to improve awareness of the ECP, especially among adolescents, those with less education, poorer women and those in rural areas. The government is taking steps to improve access to ECP, and India’s female community health workers, the ASHAs, could be further supported to enhance awareness of ECP.

Assessment of knowledge towards emergency contraceptives among college students in Ramechhap district of Nepal

Introduction: A high rate of unintended pregnancy exists among college students as they belong to the sexually active age group. So, it is significant to know the knowledge of college students regarding emergency contraceptives.
 
 Objectives: To assess the knowledge of students towards Emergency Contraceptives and to identify the association between male and female students towards knowledge of emergency contraceptives.
 
 Method: An online survey in Ramechhap district among college students studying in bachelor’s and master’s level was conducted from March 15, 2022 to April 10, 2022 where total of 169 students participated. Non parametric test was used to find the result of the objectives.
 
 Result: The study showed that 83.4% students had the knowledge of Emergency Contraceptive pills and 59.2% of students first heard about such pills in the last 5 Years. Among them 79.9% of students knew where to get Emergency Contraceptive pills, 24.2% of students know the Emergency Contraceptive pills works if there is menstrual delay. Only 56.9% of students know the time to take Emergency Contraceptives pills after unprotected sexual intercourse and 46.7% of students know that the Emergency Contraceptive pill is not used for regular contraception. Only 49.1% of students know the right number of tablets that needs to be consumed after unprotected intercourse.
 
 Conclusion: Majority of the students are aware of the Emergency Contraceptive pills however they have limited understanding about it. In comparison to female students, male had better understanding about Emergency Contraceptives.

Knowledge and Use of Emergency Contraceptive Pills among Bachelor's Level Female Students of Kathmandu Valley

Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP) is used for preventing pregnancy after having unprotected sexual intercourse, contraceptive failure or forced sex. The use of ECP within 120 hours of sexual intercourse could prevent unwanted pregnancy and its adverse effects particularly unintended childbirth and unsafe abortion. The study, therefore, aimed to assess knowledge and use of emergency contraceptives among Bachelors level female students from Kathmandu Valley. A descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken from August to November 2017 among 347 female students who were studying at the Bachelors's level. A random sampling technique was used to select study participants and a structured self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and use of ECP after securing informed consent. Epi data and SPSS version 22 were used for data processing and analysis. The mean age of the female students was 21.5 years. Overall, 91.4% of the respondents had ever heard about emergency contraceptives. The main sources of information were radio or television, the internet and newspapers. About 4.6% of the undergraduate female students used ECP. Age, marital status, use of contraceptives and knowledge of ECP used within 72 hours were significantly associated with use of ECP. Although the findings of this study showed a high prevalence of knowledge among respondents, the improvement of female students’ knowledge on specific details of ECP and its advantages/disadvantages and timely utilization needs to be considered for any future awareness programmes.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of emergency contraceptive pills among community pharmacy practitioners working in Kathmandu Valley: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundUnintended pregnancy occurs due to incorrect or inconsistent use of a contraception method. Such pregnancies can create an economic burden on the family, society and nation as a whole. Unintended pregnancy is the underlying cause of abortion which can also result in infertility and maternal death. Adequate knowledge of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) and positive attitudes among the community pharmacy practitioners (CPPs) is a prerequisite for timely access of ECP, thus ultimately lessening the incidence of unintended pregnancies. This study intended to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice of CPPs toward ECPs in Kathmandu valley.MethodsCross-sectional study conducted in community pharmacies located in three districts of Kathmandu valley. A convenience sampling method was employed to interview CPPs in 227 community pharmacies using a validated questionnaire. Questionnaire assessed the demographic characteristics; knowledge, attitude and dispensing practice of the CPPs. Data were subjected to descriptive and inferential analysis using SPSS 18 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).ResultsApproximately 75% of respondents had a good practice on dispensing ECPs, and 70% of them counselled all the users. A significant association (p-value< 0.05) was obtained between the dispensing practice of respondents and their knowledge level. ECP related knowledge was higher among the age group 40–49 years, BPharm degree holders with experience above 10 years and community pharmacies located inside the city and in the Kathmandu district. After adjusting the possible confounder variables, age, degree and district of pharmacy were significantly associated with knowledge. Similarly, respondents’ practice towards ECP was higher among the age group 40–49 years with experience above 10 years and community pharmacies located inside the city and in the Kathmandu district. Adjusted for other variables, only community pharmacies located at Kathmandu district was significantly associated with the practice.ConclusionCPPs lacked specific important information on ECP and opined against its’ availability as an over-the-counter drug, despite good overall knowledge and positive attitude. Many thought that ECP without prescription would increase promiscuity towards sexual behaviour and result in unsafe sex along with its’ repeated use. Hence, training and proper counselling strategies should be afoot to refine the delivery of service by CPPs.

Knowledge of emergency contraceptives among secondary school learners in the rural area of Moletji-Mashashane, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background. Teenagers at the reproductive age face the dilemma of choosing the best birth control method. Knowledge of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) associated with an intention to use other contraceptive methods has rarely been investigated. This study investigated the knowledge of emergency contraceptives among secondary school learners in the rural area of Moletji-Mashashane, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Objective. To assess the knowledge of and barriers against emergency contraception among secondary school learners. Methods. An anonymous questionnaire was used in the study. It included single and multiple-choice questions. Results. A total of 469 learners aged 14 - 18 years completed the anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The results showed that secondary school learners did not have good knowledge of emergency contraceptives; 47.5% reported that they had heard of emergency contraceptives, while 52.5% reported that they had never heard of emergency contraceptives. The majority of learners had misperceptions about the details and safety of ECPs. However, 48.4% reported that emergency contraceptives are effective in preventing pregnancy. Conclusion. The awareness of ECPs was not high in this group. An improved multisectoral approach to education about emergency contraceptives, with greater participation by schools and the Department of Health, is advised. A systematic and long-term intervention among secondary school learners must be conducted to educate learners about emergency contraceptives.

Knowledge of Emergency Contraceptive Pills among Hungarian Women Presenting for Induced Abortion or Seeking Emergency Contraception.

Aim: To compare the differences in contraceptive characteristics and the knowledge of emergency contraception (ECP) among women who used ECP after unprotected intercourse and those who sought an abortion. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in a Hungarian university hospital among women for whom ECP was prescribed after unprotected intercourse (n = 940) as well as women who presented for the termination of pregnancy (n = 1592) between January 1, 2005 and November 20, 2006. Their knowledge of ECP and their experience with and attitudes toward ECP use were targeted. Results: The availability of ECP was well known (87.9 %), but it was still greatly underutilized: applied by only 13 of the 1592 women who resorted to abortion. Primarily, the ECP group consisted of those who experienced a condom failure significantly more often (odds ratio [OR] = 4.1), followed by those cases where ECP applications was a consequence of not using any kind of contraception (OR = 3.8). Fewer than one third (32 %) of the abortion seekers had previously used ECP, and only one fifth knew how to obtain it. Appropriate awareness of ECP was influenced by information obtained from health-care providers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.93) or school education (AOR = 1.82). Conclusions: More thorough education is needed to provide a deeper knowledge of ECP use during contraceptive counseling for women seeking abortion, including those contraceptive mishaps where unintended pregnancy can be prevented by ECP.

Predictors of pharmacists' provision of emergency contraceptive pills

ABSTRACTWe carried out a cross-sectional, web-based study to identify predictors (personal characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes) of Serbian pharmacists' decisions to decline emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) dispensing. In total, 452 questionnaires were completed and analyzed. Half of the surveyed pharmacists had poor knowledge of ECP. Almost the same number (42%) had either never undertaken training in these products or did not remember having training. The less knowledgeable respondents were more likely to decline ECP provision overall (OR 1.862) and in particular circumstances (nonintended user (OR 1.412) or >72 h after intercourse (OR 1.445)). To expand availability of these products, well-organized trainings are needed.

Awareness, Utilization and Barriers to Ecp Use: A Study from an Urban Locality

Unintended pregnancy has been associated with unhealthy behaviour before, during and after pregnancy and can adversely affect pregnancy outcomes. Emergency Contraception is a post-coital method of contraception that prevents pregnancy before implantation or fertilization takes place. The objective of this study was to understand whether women are aware of the emergency contraceptive pill in the urban setup. Are the women using ECP and are there any barriers to its use. A quantitative study was carried out in urban areas of Jaipur, Rajasthan among married women in the age group of 18-44 years. Multi stage systematic random sampling was adopted to select the localities, the only criteria being that the number of households should be more than 100, 15 wards were selected in all with a total sample size of 243 women. It was found that awareness of ECP was low among the urban married women as compared to other regular contraceptives. In addition, only about 7 percent of the women who were aware of ECP had ever used it. The women who faced a fear of unwanted pregnancy but did not use ECP identified the greatest barriers to be lack of knowledge of Emergency Contraceptive Pill at the time

Knowledge and Opinions of Emergency Contraceptive Pills Among Female Factory Workers in Tijuana, Mexico

Workers in Mexico's maquiladoras (assembly plants) are mainly young, single women, many of whom could benefit from emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs). Because ECPs are readily available in Mexico, women who know about the therapy can obtain it easily. Do maquiladora workers know about the method? Could worksite programs help increase awareness? To investigate these questions, we conducted a five-month intervention during which workers in three maquiladoras along the Mexico-United States border could attend educational talks on ECPs, receive pamphlets, and obtain kits containing EC supplies. Among the workers exposed to our intervention, knowledge of ECPs increased. Reported ECP use also increased. Although our intervention apparently increased workers' knowledge and use, the factory proved to be a difficult intervention setting. Problems we experienced included a factory closure and management/staff opposition to certain project elements. Future studies should continue to investigate work-site interventions and other strategies to reach workers.

Limited impact of an intervention regarding emergency contraceptive pills in Sweden—repeated surveys among abortion applicants

Objective To evaluate a community-based intervention consisting of an information campaign and advance provision of emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) to abortion applicants.Methods Submission of repeated waiting room questionnaires to abortion applicants in two cities in mid-Sweden; one intervention city (IC) and one comparison city (CC) in 2002 (IC = 92, CC = 95) and 2003 (IC = 244, CC = 204).Results The overall response rate was 90%. The percentage of women who had undergone an abortion within the previous year had decreased in the intervention group but not in the comparison group. Almost two-thirds (63%) of the targeted women had noticed the information campaign and one out of three (33%) who had visited a family planning clinic recalled being given information about ECP. There was a small decline in the use of combined oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices over time. After the intervention, women in the intervention city had better knowledge of ECP and had used it more than women in the comparison city did.Conclusions More than half of the targeted women had noticed the information campaign and it may have had a limited impact. Further investigations are needed to determine whether advance supply of ECP to abortion applicants can reduce repeat abortions.

Pharmacists' Knowledge and Perceptions of Emergency Contraceptive Pills in Soweto and the Johannesburg Central Business District, South Africa

In South Africa, emergency contraceptive pills are available directly from pharmacies without a prescription, yet few studies have assessed pharmacists' knowledge of and attitudes toward the medication. In-person interviews were conducted with 34 pharmacists practicing in Soweto and the Johannesburg Central Business District, from February through April 2003. The pharmacists provided data on their knowledge of emergency contraceptive pills and their attitudes toward providing the medication to women in specific situations. Nearly all pharmacists sold at least one of the two types of dedicated emergency contraceptive pills available in South Africa. Although most had accurate knowledge about the method's dosing schedule, side effects and mechanism(s) of action, more than half erroneously believed that repeated use posed health risks. A large majority of pharmacists believed the pills should be available to rape victims, to single or married women and to women who had never given birth, but almost half did not think the pills should be given to women younger than 18, and a fourth said they would not give them to women with a late menstrual period. About one-third to half of pharmacists supported advance provision of the medication under certain circumstances. Most were willing to display promotional materials on emergency contraceptives in their pharmacies. Interventions aimed at educating pharmacists about the benefits of emergency contraceptive pills, especially for adolescents, are needed. Government and medical authorities should take advantage of pharmacists' willingness to display educational materials as a way to increase women's knowledge and use of the medication in South Africa.