Background: Emergency contraception (EC) has been available in developing countries without prescription for some time. There is, however, little research into the extent of the knowledge of mode of action, effectiveness, and availability of this form of contraception in rural areas.Objectives: To assess the knowledge of EC with respect to mode of action, effectiveness, and availability in rural areas among students in a tertiary institution in a developing country.Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to tertiary students in a university in rural area in a developing country. This questionnaire asked about their knowledge of the mode of action of EC, its availability over the counter, its cost, and the student's willingness to purchase it.Results: Some 488 of the 500 questionnaires were returned. One hundred and eight (22.1%) of the students had used EC or bought it for a girlfriend at some stage in the past. Two hundred and forty four (50.0%) knew the correct timeframe for its use, while 201 (41.2%) were not aware of its availability over the counter in pharmacies, and 150 (30.7%) felt unable to purchase EC in a pharmacy where they are known. One hundred (20.5%) of the participants were aware of the cost of EC.Conclusion: The students had good knowledge of the timeframe for the use of EC, but lacked information regarding the availability and the cost of EC in the community.
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