Pre-service knowledge, perception, and use of emergency contraception among future healthcare providers in northern Ghana

Abstract

BackgroundEmergency contraception, if used properly, can prevent up to over 95 % of unwanted and mistimed pregnancies. However, a number of obstacle including healthcare providers knowledge, perception, and attitude towards emergency contraception (EC) prevent women and adolescents from having access to EC.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study among 191 female final year nursing and midwifery students of Tamale Nurses and Midwives Training College in the Northern Region of Ghana. Purposive sampling method was used to sample 100 students from the nursing programme and 91 from the midwifery programme. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were performed to determine factors associated with awareness about EC and use of EC.ResultsOver four-fifths, 166(86.91%), of the participants indicated they had heard about EC prior to the study. Majority (80.10%) of the participants correctly indicated the time within which to take emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs). More than half, 105(54.97%), of the participants did not know the appropriate time within which to use IUD as EC. Almost four-fifths, 74(38.74%), of the participants indicated it is morally wrong to use EC and more than half, (n = 104, 54.45%), of them said EC use promotes promiscuity. Only 49(25.65%) participants said they had ever used ECP. Of the number that indicated ever-using ECP, 36(73.47%) cited condom breakage or slippage as the reason for using the method.ConclusionThough there was a relatively high level of EC awareness and knowledge among the students, some students lacked detailed knowledge about the method, especially the use of IUD as EC. We found that it was easy to access EC in the study area but the use of EC was low among the students. Most of the students demonstrated a positive attitude towards EC, but many of them believed EC encourages promiscuous sexual behaviour and that it is morally wrong to use EC. The curriculum for nursing and midwifery education should provide opportunity for detailed information and practical knowledge on EC to demystify negative perceptions and attitudes of nursing and midwifery students towards EC and other forms of contraception and to improve their knowledge on EC.

Socio-economic and demographic predictors of unmet need for contraception among young women in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from cross-sectional surveys

“…With level of education, the study revealed that young women with secondary/higher level of education had higher odds of unmet need for contraception compared with those with no formal education. This is similar to what Solanke et al [ 45 ] found in Nigeria and Guure et al [ 23 ] in Ghana. We admit just as Solanke et al [ 45 ] admitted in their study that this finding seem to be counter intuitive.…”

“…This is similar to what Solanke et al [ 45 ] found in Nigeria and Guure et al [ 23 ] in Ghana. We admit just as Solanke et al [ 45 ] admitted in their study that this finding seem to be counter intuitive. The possible reason accounting for this finding might be that young women who have attained higher level of education, have higher likelihood of postponing marriage or childbearing.…”

“…However, the prevalence in this study is lower than what was found in other parts of SSA such as 34.6–44% in Ethiopia [ 26 , 42 ], 32.4% in Burundi [ 43 ], 31.1% in Cameroon [ 27 ] and 30% in Ghana [ 23 ]. The prevalence is also higher than the prevalence in other studies such as 16.2–17.4% in Ethiopia [ 17 , 39 ], 17.4% in Iran [ 44 ], 10–18% in Nigeria [ 45 , 46 ], 17% in Indonesia [ 47 ], 11.5% in Mexico [ 40 ] and 10.5% in Latin America [ 48 ]. The probable reason for the disparities in findings could be due to the differences in location, study population and time they were conducted.…”

Maternal obstetric and socio-demographic determinants of low birth weight: a retrospective cross-sectional study in Ghana

“…A possible explanation for this might be that increased years of maternal education brings about improvement in ANC attendance, nutritional status, health-seeking behaviour and enhanced maternal experiences relative to pregnancy and childcare. Furthermore, increased years of maternal education may cause delay in sexual initiation or increase uptake of contraception to prevent pregnancy [40, 41]. This inadvertently could increase maternal age at first birth and decrease the likelihood of LBW associated with teenage pregnancy.…”

Intrauterine mepivacaine instillation for pain relief during intrauterine device insertion in nulliparous women: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial

“…One study that could be used to exemplify this found that among future healthcare providers in Ghana, the knowledge about when to use Cu-IUDs for EC was poor, with some 55% not being able to pin-point the time-frame for insertion. Almost 40% considered the use of EC in general as morally wrong, and some 55% said EC use promotes promiscuity (64).…”