Assessment of male involvement in emergency contraception in the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State

Abstract

Background: Emergency contraception (EC) refers to the use of drugs or a device as an emergency measure to prevent pregnancy. Lack of awareness and appropriate use of emergency contraception after unprotected sexual intercourse can lead to unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. Male involvement in contraceptive practices could help reduce these sequelae. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice of emergency contraception and extent of partners’ communication with each other on pregnancy prevention among male students in the University of Benin, Benin City.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 400 male students of the University of Benin selected by multistage sampling technique. Data was obtained with pretested interviewer administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 20 and statistical significance was determined using Chi square and Fishers exact with p value set at < 0.05.
Results: Three hundred and thirty-four (95.4%) of the respondents, had incorrect knowledge of Emergency Contraception (EC) while 293 (83.7%) respondents had a good attitude toward EC. One hundred and seventy-five (80.3%) of the respondents’ partners have used emergency contraception and only 93 (43.1%) respondents discussed pregnancy prevention with their partners.
Conclusion: The knowledge of emergency contraception among respondents was poor. However, most respondents had positive attitude towards its use and majority of their partners had used EC. Therefore, health education program on pregnancy prevention methods is recommended to improve respondents’ knowledge.