ABSTRACT
Emergency contraceptives [EC] are used to prevent unwanted pregnancy occurring after unprotected intercourse, increasing awareness of and access to emergency contraception is one critical way to improve the health and well being of all women, including adolescents, by preventing unintended pregnancy and abortion. The aim of this study was to assess the awareness and use of emergency contraception among women working in Assiut Faculty of Nursing. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Nursing and in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at Assiut University hospital using a cross-sectional analytic design. A convenience sample of 239 women was recruited from women working in the study settings, including staff members, clerks, technicians, and workers. Data were collected using an interview schedule form designed by the researchers during the period from the first of January to the end of April 2006. Results indicated that the majority of women [86,6%,] had satisfactory knowledge about regular contraceptive methods, but only 56.1% had knowledge about emergency contraceptives. The sources of knowledge were mostly media [36.6%] and books [33.6%], then doctors [20.1%], and none has mentioned nurses. Only 25.4% used emergency contraceptives, mostly oral pills and IUD. The majority of users got the advice to use from a doctor [86.7%], while 10.0% had advice from a nurse. However, only 57.5% of the women who knew about emergency contraceptives had the intention to use it in the future. The majority of women who had satisfactory knowledge were university graduates [81.9%], compared to 23.5% of those with unsatisfactory knowledge, p<0.001. A statistically significant relation was found between satisfactory knowledge about emergency contraception and its use [p=0.02]. It was concluded that the awareness and use of emergency contraceptives among women working in the Faculty of Nursing at Assiut and University hospital is comparable to those of developed countries, and higher than developing ones. The role of the health team, particularly nurses, in raising awareness about EC is almost absent. It is recommended to strengthen the role of nurses as educators and counselors in the subject of EC in addition to the role of non-governmental organizations [NGOs]