Knowledge of emergency contraception amongst female patients attending a department of genitourinary medicine.
The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of emergency contraception amongst new female patients attending an inner-city department of genitourinary medicine. Information was also sought about use of regular contraception and demography. Three hundred and ninety nine questionnaires were suitable for analysis. Half of the sample answered that the latest a woman could take emergency contraception after unprotected sex was three days. None of the sample knew that emergency contraception could be obtained up to five days. Twenty nine per cent of the sample reported sex without contraception during the menstrual cycle preceding attendance. Women who had ever used regular contraception in the past were statistically less likely to have reported unprotected sex in the menstrual cycle preceding attendance (p=0.0000068). Professional women were statistically less likely to have reported unprotected sex in the menstrual cycle preceding the clinic visit. Fourteen per cent of the sample had genital warts at this first clinic visit, 10 per cent had Chlamydia trachomatis, seven per cent had herpes simplex infection, six per cent had gonococcal infection and five per cent had trichomonal infection. Women who reported unprotected sex during the preceding menstrual cycle were not statistically more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection at this first clinic visit. A large number of women attending departments of genitourinary medicine are at risk of both pregnancy and also sexually transmitted infection. Staff working in all areas of sexual health need to have a good knowledge of both contraception and sexually transmitted infections in order to educate the clients on both aspects of unprotected sex.
Mann
M C
MC
City Hospital NHS Trust, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK.
Radeliffe
K W
KW
Basarab
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003282:Contraceptives, Postcoital, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D052776:Female Urogenital Diseases; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom
D003282:Contraceptives, Postcoital, Hormonal