Abstract:
Unplanned pregnancy is a growing problem worldwide, and this issue affects college-aged students more than any other group. The purpose of this study was to gain improved understanding of the extent of Emergency Contraception (EC) use among the Ball State University population and to provide insight into better education and promotion of its use, where appropriate.The population of prospective subjects for the study consisted of undergraduate students at Ball State University enrolled in Health Science 160 during the spring 2007 semester. A total of 404 questionnaires were returned and used for data analysis.The results of the study showed that only 77% of students had heard of emergency contraception. Among these students, 75.7% indicated their perceived knowledge level as "a little." The actual knowledge level of each student was determined by their number of correct responses out of eight. The mean knowledge score was 4.41 out of eight, which is about 55% correct. Students' knowledge of where to access emergency contraception was also low, which could also inhibit utilization of this method. There were no significant differences in knowledge level based on any of the demographic variables measured. However, there were significant differences between class groups in which the instructor had discussed contraception and emergency contraception and those that had not discussed either. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher recommends promoting the availability of emergency contraception on college campuses, emphasizing this method of contraception more in the classroom, exposing students to this topic earlier in life, and providing education to college students in a variety of ways to increase knowledge on this topic. More educational efforts must be focused on emergency contraception to increase students' awareness and knowledge, and therefore increase utilization of this method when necessary.
