ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE OF EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS OF FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL), GOMBE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Background: Emergency contraception (EC) is an important option for preventing unintended pregnancies. Despite its proven effectiveness, awareness, knowledge, and actual use among young women in Nigeria remain suboptimal. This study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding EC among female students in Gombe. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 304 female students, selected using multistage sampling. Data were obtained through a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS v23. Chi-square tests were applied to explore associations, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Respondents had a mean age of 24.4 ± 6.5 years. Two-thirds (66.4%) were aware of EC, and 75% demonstrated adequate knowledge. Media sources such as newspapers (26.3%) and the internet (22.7%) were the main channels of information, while health workers accounted for 6.9%. The most commonly recognized methods were combined oral contraceptives (31.7%) and Postinor (28.2%). A little over half (57%) expressed positive attitudes, and 57.2% had used EC previously, often following condom breakage or miscalculation of fertile days. Knowledge of EC was the sole factor significantly associated with use (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Although awareness levels were fair, many respondents lacked accurate knowledge and misconceptions persisted. Since knowledge strongly predicted EC uptake, targeted health education and improved access to EC are essential.