Knowledge and use of emergency contraception among women in the Western Cape province of South Africa: a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Emergency contraception (EC) is widely available free of charge at public sector clinics in South Africa. At the same time, rates of teenage and unintended pregnancy in South Africa remain high, and there are few data on knowledge of EC in the general population in South Africa, as in other resource-limited settings.


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional, interviewer-administered survey among 831 sexually active women at 26 randomly selected public sector clinics in the Western Cape province.


RESULTS
Overall, 30% of the women had ever heard of EC when asked directly, after the method was described to them. Only 15% mentioned EC by name or description spontaneously. Knowledge of EC was independently associated with higher education, being married, and living in an urban setting. Four percent of women had ever used EC.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that knowledge of EC in this setting is more common among women of higher socioeconomic status living in urban areas. For EC to play a role in decreasing unintended pregnancy in South Africa, specific interventions are necessary to increase knowledge of the method, where to get it, and the appropriate time interval for its use before the need for EC arises. Future health promotion campaigns should target rural and low socioeconomic status communities.
Myer
Landon
L
Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit, School of Public Health & Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. landon.myer@uct.ac.za
Mlobeli
Regina
R
Cooper
Di
D
Smit
Jennifer
J
Morroni
Chelsea
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D017150:Public Sector; D034121:Reproductive Health Services; D012423:Rural Health; D012923:Social Class; D013019:South Africa; D013997:Time Factors; D014504:Urban Health