A Study on Knowledge and Use of Emergency Contraceptive Pills among Female Sex Workers of Ahmedabad
Keywords:
Emergency contraception, Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), female sex workers (FSWs), unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortionAbstract
Background: Female Sex Workers (FSWs) are at high risk for unin- tended pregnancy. One of the key interventions to reduce unin- tended pregnancy and unsafe abortion is availability of emergency contraception. The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge ,attitude and practices regarding ECPs among FSWs of Ahmedabad as well as the hazards of overusing it.
Methods: A cross sectional community based study was carried out among 1023 FSWs in Ahmedabad during February 2014 to June 2014. FSWs were interviewed by systematic random sam- pling using a standard pre designed and pretested semi- struc- tured proforma.
Results: Overall, 45.3% of the FSWs had ever heard of ECPs when asked directly and all of them mentioned ECPs by name sponta- neously. Knowledge of ECP was independently associated with age, education, marital status, type of family and the socioeconom- ic status of the FSWs. Only 15.6% of FSWs had ever used ECPs.
Conclusion: The study pointed out the need for increasing the knowledge of FSWs about emergency contraception pills as well as making them aware about the hazards of overusing it.
References
Guttmacher Institute (1999). Sharing responsibility: Women, society & abortion worldwide. Available at :https://www. guttmacher.org/pubs/sharing.pdf. Accessed August 14th, 2014.
Heidi Bart Johnston. Abortion Practice In India: Centre For Enquiry Into Health And Allied Themes (Cehat): CEHAT/ Healthwatch. 2002: 2:10
Unsafe abortion: the preventable pandemic-World Health. Available at : www.who.int/…/topics/unsafe_abortion.pdf Accessed August 14th, 2014.
HIV & AIDS Impact in India: Current situation. Available at
: www.avert.org/hiv-aids-impact-india.htm Accessed Au- gust 14th, 2014.
J Vandepitte, R Lyerla, G Dallabetta, F Crabbé, M Alary, and A Buvé : Estimates of the number of female sex workers in different regions of the world.Sex Transm Infect. Jun 2006; 82(Suppl 3): iii18–iii25.
Delvaux T, Crabbé F, Seng S, Laga M. The need for family planning and safe abortion services among women sex workers seeking STI care in Cambodia. Reprod Health Mat- ters. 2003;11:88–95.
Wayal S, Cowan F, Warner P, Copas A, Mabey D, Shahmanesh M. Contraceptive practices, sexual and repro- ductive health needs of HIV-positive and negative female sex workers in Goa, India. Sex transm. Infect.2011 Feb; 87(1):58-64.
Duff P, Shoveller J, Zhang R, Alexson D, Montaner JS, Shannon K. High lifetime pregnancy and low contraceptive usage among sex workers who use drugs- an unmet repro- ductive health need. BMC Pregnancy Child birth. 2011 Aug 18; 11:61.
Brahmi D, Kapp N. Advance provision of emergency con- traception for pregnancy prevention: RHL commentary (last revised: 1 August 2010). The WHO Reproductive Health Li- brary; Geneva: World Health Organization.
Chris Parker. Adolescents and Emergency Contraceptive Pills in Developing Countries Family Health International: working paper series . 2005 :.WP05(01) :2
J. Kishore. National Health Programs of India, 11th ed. New Delhi:Century Publishers; p 149.
Adhikari R: Factors affecting awareness of emergency con- traception among college students in Katmandu. Nepal BMC Women’s Health. 2009, 9: 27-10.
Muia E, Ellertson C, Lukhando M, Flub B, Clark S, Olena J: Emergency contraception in Nairobi, Kenya: knowledge, at- titudes and practices among policy makers, family planning providers and clients, and university students. Contracep- tion. 1999, 60: 223-10.
Takkar N, Goel P, Saha PK, Dua D: Contraceptive practices and awareness of emergency contraception in educated working women. Indian J Med Sci. 2005, 59: 143-9.
Vanphanom Sychareun, Visanou Hansana, Alongkone Phengsavanh and Keokedthong Phongsavan : Awareness and attitudes towards emergency contraceptive pills among young people in the entertainment places, Vientiane City, Lao PDR. BMC Women's Health 201313:14
Wegene T, Fikre E. Knowledge, attitude and practice on Emergency Contraceptives among female students at higher educations in Addis Ababa. Ethiop J Health Dev, 2005; 21(2): 111-116.
Zeleke G, Zebenay Z, Weldegerima B. Knowledge Attitude and Practice of Emergency Contraceptives in Bahir Dar University Female Students. Ethiopian Journal of Reproductive Health, 2009; 3: 59-64.
Dejene Tilahun, Tsion Assefa, Tefera Belachew. Knowledge, attitude and practice of Emergency Contraceptives among Adama university female students. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2010; 20( 3) :199-202
Anthony Amalba,Victor Mogre,Monica NA Appiah and Winnifred A Mumuni . Awareness, use and associated factors of emergency contraceptive pills among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Tamale, Ghana.BMC Women's Health 2014,14:114
Irfan F, Karim SI, Hashmi S, Ali S, Ali SA: Knowledge of emergency contraception among women of childbearing age at a teaching hospital of Karachi. J Pak Med Assoc. 2009, 59: 235.
Josaphat Kayogoza Byamugisha. User and provider per- spectives emergency contraception among young people in Uganda, 2007, Kampala and Stockholm. (PHD thesis) Available: www.nfog.org/theses/Josaphat%20Kayogoza. pdf Accessed July 31st , 2018.
Aziken ME, Okonta PI, Ande A: Knowledge and perception of emergency contraception among female Nigerian under- graduates. Int Fam Plan Perspect. 2003, 29: 84-87.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The authors retain the copyright of their article, with first publication rights granted to Medsci Publications.
