Knowledge of Emergency Contraception among College Students in Zanjan, Iran

Background aim: Avoiding unintended pregnancy is an important issue among college students. Emergency contraception is considered as a practical method to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. This study was conducted to measure the knowledge of college students regarding emergency contraception in Zanjan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 911 college students, who were studying humanity, engineering, and experimental sciences in Zanjan, Iran, during 2011 to 2012. The subjects were selected using stratified random sampling method, and the data were collected by a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The level of knowledge was considered as low, moderate, and high. Data analysis was performed using Chi-square test in SPSS software, version 16. Results: According to the results, 78 (8.6%), 279 (30.9%), and 545 (60.4%) of the students had high, moderate, and low levels of knowledge about emergency contraception, respectively. Additionally, 524 individuals (58.28%) had heard about emergency contraception so far. Furthermore, 256 (28.6%) students knew about combined oral contraceptive pills, and 64 (7.2%) of them knew about intrauterine device with copper as an emergency contraception. There was a significant relationship between marital status and the level of knowledge (P=0.01). Conclusion: The results showed that the students had inadequate knowledge about the methods of emergency contraception. Conducting educational programs and making students aware through the media may be helpful for increasing their level of knowledge.