Knowledge and Utilization of Contraceptives among Female Students in Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti

Adolescent pregnancy is a global phenomenon with clearly known causes and serious health, social and economic consequences. The study assessed the knowledge and utilization of contraceptives among female students of Ekiti State University. The study was delimited to only the Faculty of Agricultural science students. Proportional sampling technique was used to select the respondents. The instrument used was a questionnaire that was self-designed under the guidance of test and measurement expert. It was converted to a Goggle doc for easy retrieval and compilation. Ethical approval was gotten from ESKU health research An overwhelming 92.4% of respondents demonstrated a high level of knowledge about family planning, suggesting effective dissemination of information through public health campaigns and educational initiatives. Abstinence was the most preferred method (49.7%), followed by condoms (25.1%). Low usage rates for IUCDs (8.2%) and oral pills (14.6%) highlight a preference for methods perceived as low-risk, influenced by concerns about side effects. A high utilization rate of 70.2% indicates active engagement with family planning services, although 29.8% of respondents exhibited low utilization, potentially due to access barriers or cultural factors. More than half (54.97%) of respondents reported significant barriers limiting their use of family planning services. This emphasizes the need for interventions addressing both knowledge and practical challenges. The analysis revealed no significant relationship (p = 0.579) between knowledge and utilization, indicating that awareness alone is insufficient to drive usage. In conclusion, majority of the respondents possess a high level of family planning services utilization, and a larger percentage faces a high level of barriers limiting their use of family planning services. It was however recommended that healthcare facilities and employers adopt adolescent-friendly policies that facilitate access to family planning services. Keywords: Female students, knowledge, utilization. Contraceptives