Abstract:
Problem Statement: Consequences of unprotected sex, such as unintended pregnancy and
unsafe abortion, can be prevented by access to contraceptive services including emergency
contraception. Researches that were done on secondary high school students concerning
emergency contraception are very scarce.
Objective: to assess the level of awareness and attitude of emergency contraception and
associated factors among female secondary high school students in Addis Ababa.
Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted on March 2010, using multi stage
sampling method, in Addis Ababa. Data were collected from eight secondary high schools using
Anonymous self administered questionnaire. Bivariate and multi variate analysis were
conducted to identify associated factors for knowledge and attitude of emergency contraception.
Results: A total of 832 female students were enrolled in the study and full responses were
found from 762 students. Fifty nine point four percent (95%CI: 55.9%-62.9%) students heard
about emergency contraception, but only 18.9% (95%CI: 16.1%-21.7%) students had adequate
knowledge.
Only 58.1% (95%CI: 54.6%-61.6%) students had positive attitude towards emergency
contraceptive. Grade 12 students had greater than two times more knowledge than grade 9
students. Students whose family income >5000 birr per month had more knowledge than
students whose family income <500 birr per month. Students ever heard of other family
planning method had five times more knowledge of emergency contraception than those who
never heard of. Those students who ,were living with single parents, perceived that unplanned
sex is a problem of youth, saw menarche before fourteen years and had knowledge of risk period
were positively associated with positive attitude towards emergency contraception.
Conclusion and recommendation: - Despite more than half of students heard about EC,
detailed information such as specific method, time frame, side effects, efficacy of EC is very
poor. Students should be provided with appropriate information regarding emergency
contraceptives including the specific methods, the time frame, and the side effects and so on.
