The Right to Emergency Contraception: The Reality Behind Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among College Students in Central Pennsylvania
Open Access
- Author:
- Darville, Hillary Kay
- Area of Honors:
- Biobehavioral Health
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dr. Lori Anne Francis, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Lori Anne Francis, Thesis Supervisor
Cynthia H Chuang, Thesis Supervisor
Melina Tanya Czymoniewicz Klippel, Faculty Reader
Dr. Lori Anne Francis, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- knowledge
attitudes
practices
contraception - Abstract:
- Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding emergency contraception (EC) among college-aged men and women in the central region of Pennsylvania. Methods: An online survey was completed with a convenience sample of male and female students ages 18-24 years who were enrolled at Pennsylvania State University during the spring semester of 2011. A total of 768 students responded to the web-based survey, of which 746 (97%) fell between the ages of 18-24 years and were thus included in the descriptive analyses. Results: Nearly all respondents were aware of a postcoital method to prevent pregnancy; 92% had heard of emergency contraception, and over 83% knew one of the mechanisms by which EC has been shown to prevent pregnancy. Although over half of respondents rated their knowledge level of EC as ‘average’ or ‘high,’ a fourth confused EC with the abortion pill RU-486, and only 3% were aware that EC can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse. Despite the inclusion of 17 year olds in over-the-counter access to EC in August of 2009, 64% of respondents thought the age limit for purchasing EC without a prescription was ≥18 years. The majority of respondents knew someone who had taken EC, and 88% indicated that a prescription should not be necessary to buy EC. Over 26% percent of participants/participant’s sexual partners had previously taken EC, of which 40% had taken EC more than once, and 15% had taken it three or more times. Conclusions: Despite the increase in access to EC after becoming over-the-counter in 2006, a sizeable proportion of college-aged students remain misinformed about EC’s availability, effectiveness, and regulations. Even though the knowledge level of EC reported was quite high among the survey population, findings from this study suggest a lack of contraceptive counseling and education from healthcare professionals in university settings. More comprehensive methods for preventing pregnancy, including increased awareness about EC and its over-the-counter availability, are important if rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion are expected to decrease among the high-risk college-aged population.