Awareness of and attitude toward hormonal emergency contraception among married women in Kuwait.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the awareness of and attitudes toward hormonal emergency contraception among women in Kuwait.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among married women at obstetrics/gynecology outpatient clinics at the government Maternity Hospital in Kuwait. A pretested Arabic self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the women in March 2005. The questionnaire provided a short explanation as to what was meant by hormonal emergency contraception and then elicited whether the respondent was aware of it, what concerns she had, and whether she thought it should be made available in Kuwait.


RESULTS
One hundred three questionnaires were completed. Respondents were mostly Kuwaiti (78%) and non-Bedouin (78%) with postsecondary school education (74%) and a mean (SD) age of 33.1 (7.8) years and a mean (SD) number of children of 2.8 (1.9) About half of the women were not currently using contraceptive methods; 40% of contraceptive users were taking oral contraceptive pills. Bedouin women were more likely than non-Bedouins to use breastfeeding as a contraceptive measure (p = 0.012). Ten women (9.7%, 95% CI 4.8-17.1) reported having heard of hormonal emergency contraception, mostly from informal sources, 1 had used it, and 7 knew of other women who had used it. Only 8 (7.8%) respondents were willing to use or inform a friend about hormonal emergency contraception, but 89.3% thought it should be available in the health system.


CONCLUSIONS
Awareness of hormonal emergency contraception is low among women in Kuwait. Despite concerns and apparent negative attitudes, women believe it should be made available in the health system.
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, Kuwait. dball@hsc.edu.kw
Douglas E
DE
Ball
Najlaa
N
Marafie
Eman
E
Abahussain
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital / Q000523:psychology*; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology*; D007730:Kuwait; D017533:Marital Status; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology*
D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital