title: Emergency contraception: Sources of information and perceptions of access among young adults.
abstract: Emergency contraception (EC) can prevent pregnancy for up to 5 days after unprotected sex. Although EC has become increasingly available, little is known about perceptions of young adults regarding access to EC or whether information sources about EC relate to perceived access among young adults. Over a 1-week period in November 2013, a self-report survey was administered to 352 college students (67% women) at the student union of a large, public university in the southeastern United States. The survey assessed three aspects of EC: perceived access, information sources, and prior use. Twenty-one percent of participants had used EC. Participants reported relatively high perceptions of access to EC, with females reporting higher perceptions of access than males. Prior to the study, 7.4% of students had never heard of EC; the remaining students had heard of EC from an average of four sources. Among women, hearing of EC from media, interpersonal, or health education sources was significantly associated with greater perceived access (ps < .05). Among men, no specific information sources were associated with perceived access (ps > .10). Future EC awareness efforts for women should leverage all three of these sources, while future research should examine specific sources to focus on the content, quality, and frequency of messages.
authors.affiliation: a School of Media and Journalism , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , North Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Kyla P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , North Carolina State University , Raleigh , North Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Widman
authors.affiliation: a School of Media and Journalism , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , North Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Diane B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.affiliation: a School of Media and Journalism , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , North Carolina , USA.|c Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , North Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Seth M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Noar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054626:Consumer Health Information; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D015144:Southeastern United States; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital
keywords: Emergency contraception; health communication; perceived access; post-coital contraception