Emergency Contraception Knowledge and Associated Factors Among Women of Reproductive Age

ObjectiveEmergency contraception is an effective method forpreventing unintended pregnancies after unprotectedsexual intercourse. However, awareness and knowledgeregarding emergency contraception remain limitedin many regions. This study aimed to evaluate thelevel of knowledge about emergency contraceptionand the associated factors among women of reproductiveage.Material and MethodThis hospital-based cross-sectional study was conductedamong 301 women aged 18–45 years whoapplied to the obstetrics and gynecology outpatientclinic of a tertiary-level university hospital. The dependentvariable was awareness of emergency contraception.Sociodemographic, biodemographic, andsocioeconomic characteristics were evaluated as independentvariables. Chi-square tests were used forgroup comparisons, and logistic regression analysiswas performed to identify factors associated with lackof awareness.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 33.3 ± 2.21years. Overall, 32.2% of the women reported that theyhad heard about emergency contraception. Logisticregression analysis showed that the likelihood of notknowing about emergency contraception was higheramong women using traditional contraceptive methods(OR = 1.479), women without formal education(OR = 23.407), women who perceived their householdincome as insufficient (OR = 1.650), and unemployedwomen (OR = 1.957).ConclusionAwareness of emergency contraception among womenof reproductive age was found to be limited. Educationalinterventions and public health strategies targetingwomen with lower educational and socioeconomicstatus may help increase awareness and contribute tothe prevention of unintended pregnancies.