Determinants of Pre-service Knowledge and Use of Emergency Contraception by Female Nursing and Midwifery Students in Northern Nigeria

Background: Emergency contraception (EC) offers the last opportunity of preventing an unintended pregnancy. Aim: This study determined factors associated with knowledge and use of EC by female nursing and midwifery students in northwest Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 317 female nursing and midwifery students randomly selected in two tertiary health institutions in Northern Nigeria was conducted using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS v. 21.20. Results: Of the 317 students, 62.8% (199/317) were unmarried, 92.4% (293/317) were Muslims, and 74.4% (236/317) were of Hausa ethnicity. The mean age (standard deviation) was 22.9 (3.1) years. Knowledge of EC was nearly universal (n=299/317; 94.3%). Of the respondents 25.8% (77/317), 13.4% (40/317) and 9.4% (28/317) of the respondents’ incorrectly identified menstrogen, quinine, and ampicillin, respectively as forms of EC. In addition, 24.1% (72/317) were not aware of the correct timing for the use of hormonal EC following unprotected sexual intercourse. Marital status and parity were significantly associated with knowledge of EC (P ≤ 0.05). Of those who have had unprotected and unwanted sexual intercourse (n=62, 19.6%), less than a quarter 15 (24.2%) used any device or drug to avoid getting pregnant and this was not affected by sociodemographic variables (P>0.05). Conclusion: Majority of the student nurses and midwives surveyed had adequate general knowledge of EC, but many lacked in-depth knowledge with some having misconceptions about the forms. Majority did not use it when it was indicated despite being aware of it. Periodic curricula review may address knowledge gaps among these potential change agents and role models. Keywords: Emergency contraception; Knowledge; Midwifery student; Northern Nigeria; Nursing student; Practice

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