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Emergency contraception in the context of marriage in Upper Egypt
Author(s) -
Shaaban Omar M.,
Fathalla Mohamed M.F.,
Shahin Ahmed Y.,
Nasr Ahmed
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.09.013
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency contraception , context (archaeology) , family medicine , demographics , health care , marital status , cross sectional study , family planning , service provider , population , service (business) , environmental health , demography , research methodology , pathology , sociology , paleontology , economy , economics , biology , economic growth
Objective To explore the degree of knowledge, perception, and practice of emergency contraception (EC) within marital relations in Egypt. Methods The present study was a pilot cross‐sectional survey. Eligible participants were randomly selected from 4 governorates in Upper Egypt. A questionnaire was designed by the investigators and administered to an unselected sample of healthcare providers and potential users of EC. The questionnaire collected information in 4 domains: demographics; knowledge about EC; attitudes toward EC; and practice of EC in Egypt. Results In total, 240 healthcare providers and 60 potential users of EC completed the questionnaire. Approximately 85% of healthcare providers and 30% of potential users had heard about EC. A similar proportion of study participants said that EC methods are needed. Only 32.7% of healthcare providers and very few potential users had actually used EC. Conclusion There is a need for EC in Egypt. However, a big gap in knowledge leads to nonuse or incorrect use of EC and negative attitude toward it. If health service planners and policy makers could fill this gap, a considerable decline in the prevalence of unwanted pregnancy may be achieved by using EC.