Assessment of the Attitude of Female Post-Secondary Students and Service Providers’ Towards Emergency Contraception in Hawassa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Changes in the total fertility rate-lifetime births per woman have dramatic effects on population size. More than 100 million women in developing countries, or about 17 present of all married women would prefer to avoid a pregnancy but are not using any form of family planning. Method: Cross-sectional study including both quantitative and qualitative surveys. Multistage stratified sampling was employed considering all governmental and private non health post-secondary institutions. Result: Mothers level of education has a significant gross effect on awareness of emergency contraception (OR=0.848, P<0.01). Respondents who had no experience of communicating with their respective mother was lower by 62.6% as compared with those who had experience of discussion about reproductive health issues with their mothers (OR=0.374, P<0.001). Those who had no experience of communicating with their respective partner was less by 71.2 (OR=0.288, P<0.01) as compared to those who had no experience. Female students who never had sexual intercourse was less by 71.4% as compared with their counter parts (OR=0.286, P<0.05). Those who had no experience of discussion with their respective mothers and who had no experience of discussion with sexual partner were found less by 59.1% (OR=0.409, P<0.01) and 64.8% (OR=0.352, P<0.001) respectively. Respondents who have no intention to use modern contraceptives and who had poor knowledge of EC was less by (OR=0.272, P<0.05) and OR=0.194, P<0.01) respectively. Conclusion: Building providers’ capacity through in-service and pre- service trainings with emphasis on methods regimen available for different products and method of teaching and counseling of clients according to the method guideline became very vital.