Knowledge and consumption of emergency contraception pills in a tertiary education student population

Joaquim, João; Reis, Marlene; Matos, Cristiano; Lopes, José; Pires, Timóteo

Publication

Knowledge and consumption of emergency contraception pills in a tertiary education student population

2018-10Journal article

dc.contributor.author	Joaquim, João
dc.contributor.author	Reis, Marlene
dc.contributor.author	Matos, Cristiano
dc.contributor.author	Lopes, José
dc.contributor.author	Pires, Timóteo
dc.date.accessioned	2018-10-16T11:30:21Z
dc.date.available	2018-10-16T11:30:21Z
dc.date.issued	2018-10
dc.description.abstract	Introduction According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year there are 200 million pregnancies, of which 75 million are unintended. Emergency contraception pills (ECPs) are one of the available methods to prevent an unintended pregnancy, after unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure. The aim of this study was to quantify the consumption, characterize the level of knowledge, and understand the factors that induce the use of ECPs in tertiary students. Methods An observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective survey was conducted at two tertiary education institutions (Coimbra Health School and Coimbra Education School) between January and April 2015. A written survey was applied to a convenience sample of female and male students at these schools. The survey questions comprised three areas: sociodemographic indicators; knowledge of ECPs; and previous consumption of ECPs (females only). Descriptive statistics and chi-square of independence test were used. Results Most of the students had heard about ECPs and used them mainly for “forgetfulness or contraceptive failure” (63.8%) or “sex without using a contraceptive” (22.4%). Students’ main information sources were school, friends, and the internet. There was a higher level of knowledge in female students, students from the Coimbra Health School (vs students from the Coimbra Education School), and students who had received healthcare professional counseling (p < 0.01). Regarding consumption, the majority (74.1%) were first-time users of ECPs and almost all ECPs were obtained in the pharmacy (91.4%). Conclusions In Portugal, ECPs are available over the counter, which facilitates their obtainment. There was some knowledge among students, however lack of information about this subject should be taken into account in further studies. Communication with the students to improve their risk perception and knowledge is key to improving the safer use of ECPs.	pt_PT
dc.description.version	info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion	pt_PT
dc.identifier.citation	Joaquim, J., Reis, M., Matos, C. et al. Drugs Ther Perspect (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-018-0557-4	pt_PT
dc.identifier.doi	10.1007/s40267-018-0557-4	pt_PT
dc.identifier.issn	1179-1977 (Online)
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/24300
dc.language.iso	eng	pt_PT
dc.peerreviewed	yes	pt_PT
dc.publisher	Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018	pt_PT
dc.relation.publisherversion	https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40267-018-0557-4	pt_PT
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/	pt_PT
dc.subject	Emergency contraception	pt_PT
dc.subject	Knowledge	pt_PT
dc.subject	Consumption	pt_PT
dc.subject	Student population	pt_PT
dc.subject	Contraceção de emergência	pt_PT
dc.subject	Conhecimento	pt_PT
dc.subject	Estudantes	pt_PT
dc.title	Knowledge and consumption of emergency contraception pills in a tertiary education student population	pt_PT
dc.type	journal article
dspace.entity.type	Publication
oaire.citation.title	Drugs and Therapy Perspectives	pt_PT
rcaap.rights	openAccess	pt_PT
rcaap.type	article	pt_PT