Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Medication Abortion among Regular Undergraduate Female Students in College of Social Sciences Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Background: Abortion rates following unintended pregnancies is increasing in developing countries like Africa. Unsafe abortion is threatening the gains in reducing maternal mortality and achieving millennium development goal targets. Medication abortion is one of safe abortion interventions. Adequate level of knowledge among women of reproductive age groups contributes to prevention and control of unsafe abortion and the resulting mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was therefore to assess knowledge, attitude and practices regarding medication abortion among regular undergraduate female students of the College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa University. Method: A cross-sectional quantitative study supplemented by key informants’ interview was conducted between 1st of June to 5th of July 2013. The quantitative data were collected using structured, self-administered questionnaire and the qualitative data were collected by the principal investigator using interview guide. Results: The age of the study participants ranged from 18 to 25 years with a mean age of 20.6 ± 1.5. Threefourth of the respondents (159, 74.6%) knew what medication abortion meant where 11 (6.9%) and 97(61%) of them had high and low knowledge on medication abortion respectively. Majority (142, 66.7%) of the study participants would advise someone with unwanted pregnancy to undergo an abortion and 86 (40.4%) would consider abortion if they had unplanned pregnancy. From 21 respondents who had abortion experience, 13 (61.9%) used medication abortion. Conclusion: The study revealed that majority of the female undergraduate students in Addis Ababa University has low knowledge regarding medical abortion, though most of them have positive attitude towards medication abortion.