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The context of emergency contraception use among young unmarried women in Accra, Ghana: a qualitative study. | LitMetric

The context of emergency contraception use among young unmarried women in Accra, Ghana: a qualitative study.

Reprod Health

Society, Gender and Health Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4002, Basel, Switzerland.

Published: December 2018

AI Article Synopsis

  • Young women in Ghana have increased their awareness and use of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), but unintended pregnancy rates remain high due to several factors.
  • A study involving in-depth interviews with 32 unmarried sexually active women aged 18-24 revealed that ECPs are favored for their convenience, but concerns about menstrual disruption and misinformation about proper use are significant issues.
  • There is a need for better education on ECPs and safe contraceptive practices in adolescent sexuality programs to address these misunderstandings and improve reproductive health outcomes.

Article Abstract

Background: Over the past decade, awareness and use of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) among young women has rapidly increased in Ghana; however, the rate of unintended pregnancy among this group remains high. We conducted a qualitative study to better understand the context and patterns of ECP use among young unmarried women in Ghana.

Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with unmarried sexually active women aged 18-24 in Accra, Ghana to explore their perceptions, experiences, and opinions regarding sexual relationships and contraceptive methods, and to examine the factors that influence choice of ECPs. A total of 32 young women participated in the study.

Results: Most participants had used ECPs at least once. Participants described being unable to plan for sexual encounters, and as a result preferred ECPs as a convenient post-coital method. Despite being widely and repeatedly used, women feared the disruptive effects of ECPs on the menstrual cycle and were concerned about long-term side-effects. ECPs were sometimes used as a back-up in cases of perceived failure of traditional methods like withdrawal. Misinformation about which drugs were ECPs, correct dosage, and safe usage were prevalent, and sometimes spread by pharmacists. Myths about pregnancy prevention techniques such as urinating or washing after sex were commonly believed, even among women who regularly used ECPs, and coincided with a misunderstanding about how hormonal contraception works.

Conclusions: ECPs appear to be a popular contraceptive choice among young urban women in Ghana, yet misinformation about their correct usage and safety is widespread. While more research on ECP use among young people is needed, these initial results point to the need to incorporate information about ECPs into adolescent comprehensive sexuality education and youth-friendly services and programmes.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6299944PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12978-018-0656-7DOI Listing

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