There were nearly 6.4 million pregnancies in 2004 in the United States; 1.22 million ended in abortion (CDC, 2008). The greatest number of unintended pregnancies, and induced abortions, occur in women between the ages of 18 – 30, making this a high risk age group (Vahratian, et al., 2008; Burkman, et al., 2006; CDC, 2006; Finer & Henshaw, 2006; KFF, 2005). Approximately 52% of women who reported an unintended pregnancy in 2001 also reported using no contraceptive method at that time (Burkman, et al.). Emergency contraception has been available since the late 1960s. In 2004, the FDA approved over the counter sale of “Plan B,” one of the post-coital regimens to prevent pregnancy. Despite this increased availability, little research has been undertaken regarding EC and its use. Moreover, studies are lacking that address women’s knowledge and perceptions of EC, especially in women who are at high risk for unintended pregnancies.
The purpose of this study was to examine a group of female college students’ knowledge, perceptions and use of emergency contraception. An e-mail request to complete a 23 item survey was sent to 2800 female students enrolled at a private, suburban university in New York. A total of 609 students responded to the web-based, anonymous, self-administered survey (22% response). Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Findings revealed that: 15% of respondents indicated having been pregnant previoulsy; 87% of all pregnancies were reported as unplanned. Ninety-eight per cent said that they had heard of emergency contraception; however, nearly 40% were unsure if EC was the same as RU-486 (“the abortion pill”) . Ninety-five per cent of respondents knew that EC is available in the US; however 33% believed that a prescription was required to obtain it. Twenty-eight percent reported previously using EC; 27% of these purchased it directly, OTC. Seventy-one percent stated they would be hesitant to use EC due to perceived side effects; 60% said they would not use EC because they did not believe they could obtain it.
Findings from this study indicated that women who are considered most at risk for unintended pregnancies are not aware of the use of, availability and accessibility of an effective means of prevention. In addition, misconceptions regarding EC such as its side effects were also a significant result. Based on this study’s findings, education about EC is warranted, particularly in this high risk population, to provide women with an intervention for reducing unintended pregnancies.
