Emergency contraception: knowledge, attitude and awareness of its usage among medical students in a private medical college of Davangere

Authors

  • Malavika Jabin Chandramohan Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, SSIMS and RC, Davangere, Karnataka, India http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4379-013X
  • Prema Prabhudev Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, SSIMS and RC, Davangere, Karnataka, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20222964

Keywords:

EC, Unintended pregnancy, EC pills, IUCD

Abstract

Background: Emergency contraception (EC) is the contraception used to prevent pregnancy after unintended or unprotected sexual intercourse. EC can be used after contraceptive failure or misuse (as in slippage or breakage of condoms, forgotten pills). It is used before the time of implantation and prevents pregnancy in 75-99% of the cases. EC is available as pills or IUCD.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving final year medical students was conducted at SSIMS and RC, Davangere, Karnataka, India. A 32-point questionnaire encompassing the socio-demographic details, knowledge and attitude towards EC was answered by a total 146 participants. The data were entered in Microsoft excel sheet and the descriptive statistics were analysed using Epi-info software

Results: Majority of the participants had heard about EC and also knew the trade name under which it is available. The main indication for EC usage was thought to be unprotected sex by 76% participants. Nearly 90% participants knew that EC does not protect against STDs. 85% participants thought that failures can happen despite EC usage. On assessing the attitude, majority disagreed to the notion that EC usage promotes promiscuity and using EC is a sinful act.

Conclusions: Knowledge and attitude regarding EC and its usage was fairly good among the medical students in our study. The inclusion of EC in medical curriculum has added to their knowledge. Being the responsible future physicians, their knowledge with regard to EC is deemed important. Similarly, an awareness regarding EC should be spread across the general public to prevent the unwanted pregnancies and its consequences.

Author Biography

Malavika Jabin Chandramohan, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, SSIMS and RC, Davangere, Karnataka, India

Associate  Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

References

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. 2019. World Population Prospects 2022. Available at: https://population. un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2022_Highlights.pdf. Accessed on 25 August 2022.

Bearak J, Popinchalk A, Ganatra B. Unintended pregnancy and abortion by income, region, and the legal status of abortion: estimates from a comprehensive model for 1990-2019. Lancet Global Health, 2020. Available at: https://www.the lancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2214-109X%2820%2930315-6. Accessed on 25 July 2022.

Ganatra B, Gerdts C, Rossier C, Johnson BR Jr, Tuncalp O, Assisi A, et al. Global, regional, and sub-regional classification of abortions by safety,2010-14:estimates from a Bayesian hierarchial model. Lancet. 2017;390(10110):2372-81.

FP 2020. India: FP 2020 Core Indicator 2015-16 Summary Sheet. Available at: http://www.family planning2020.org/entities/76. Accessed on 25 July 2022.

Singh A, Chalasani S, Koenig MA, Mahapatra B. The consequences of unintended births for maternal and child health in India. Popul Stud. 2012;66(3):223-39.

Singh S. Abortion and Unintended Pregnancy in Six Indian States: Findings and Implications for Policies and Programs, New York: Guttmacher Institute. 2018.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Access to emergency contraception. Committee Opinion No. 542. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2012;120:1250-3.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Emergency contraception. Patient Education Pamphlet APl14. Washington, DC: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2013.

Gold MA, Wolford JE, Smith KA, Parker AM. The effects of advance provision of emergency contraception on adolescent women’s sexual and contraceptive behaviors. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2004;17:87-96.

Baldwin SB, Solorio R, Washington DL, Yu H, Huang YC, Brown ER. Who is using emergency contraception? Awareness and use of emergency contraception among California women and teens. Women’s Health Issues. 2008;18:360-8.

WHO. Emergency Contraception. Fact sheet,2018, February. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/emergency-contraception. Accessed on 25 August 2022.

Ottesen S, Narring F, Renteria SC, Michaud PA. Emergency contraception among teenagers in Switzerland: a cross-sectional survey on the sexuality of 16-to 20-yearolds. J Adolesc Health. 2002;31(1):101-10

Walter DM, Torres P, Guiterrez JP, Flemming K, Bertozi SM. Emergency contraception use is correlated with increased condom use among adolescents: results from Mexico. J Adolesc Health. 2004;35(4):329-34.

Langille DB, Delaney ME. Knowledge and use of emergency post-coital contraception by female students at a higher school in Nova Scotia. Can J Public Health. 2000;9(1):29:32.

Munakampe MN, Zulu JM, Michelo C. Contraception and abortion knowledge, attitudes and practices among adolescents from low and middle-income countries: a systematic review (published correction appears in BMC Health Serv Res. 2019;19(1):441.

Davis P, Sarasveni M, Krishnan J, Diwakara LB, Kodali NK. Knowledge and attitudes about the use of emergency contraception among college students in Tamil Nadu, India. J Egyp Pub Heal Asso. 2020;95:1.

Yen S, Parmar DD, Lin EL, Ammerman S. Emergency contraception pill awareness and knowledge in uninsured adolescents: high rated of misconceptions concerning indications for use, side effects, and access. J Pediatric Adolesc Gynecol. 2015;28(5):337-42.

Girma T, Ejeta E, Dechasa A, Abdulkadir K. Knowledge, attitude and practices of emergency contraception among female students in preparatory school of East Shoa, Adama, Ethiopia. Gynecol Obstet (Sunnyvale). 2015;5:310.

Joseph N, Shetty B, Hasreen F, Ishwarya R, Baniya M, Sachdeva S et al. Awareness and attitudes toward emergency contraceptives among college students in South India. J Obstet Gynecol India. 2016;66(1):363-9.

Hoque ME, Ghuman S. Knowledge,practices and attitudes of emergency contraception among female university students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(9):e46346.

Gajera AN, Barvaliya MJ, Shukla A, Tripathi CB. Knowledge and attitude towards emergency contraception among undergraduate medical students. Int J Basic Clin Pharmacol. 2017;6:955-61.

Shiferaw BZ, Gashaw BT, Tesso FY. Factors associated with utilization of South West Ethiopia. BMC Res Notes. 2015;8:817.

Tajure N, Pharm B. Knowledge, attitude and practice of emergency contraception among graduating female students of Jimma university, southwest Ethiopia. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2010;20(2):91-7.

Ojule JD, Oriji VK, Georgewill KN. Awareness and practice of emergency contraception among students of University of Port Harcourt, South-South Nigeria. Niger Health J. 2008;8:6-9.

Parey B, Addison L, Mark JK, Maurice B, Tripathi V, Wahid S et al. Knowledge, attitude and practice of emergency contraceptive pills among tertiary level students in Trinidad: a cross-sectional survey. West Indian Med J. 2010;59(6):650-5.

Downloads

Published

2022-11-25

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles