Use of the emergency contraceptive pill in university students from Tunja, Boyaca

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to asses frequency of employ, as well, as the level of knowledge of post-coital contraception in young female university students, living at the municipality of Tunja, Colombia.
 Methods: Descriptive, observational cross-sectional study. A sample of 615 students from two universities, public one and private the other, answered a survey about knowledge, sexual practices and the use of contraceptive methods, including the emergency contraceptive pill.
 Results: Mean age 21.18 years; Mean age of onset of sexuality 16.5 years; 59.7% had a stable partner; 69.6% answered that they had taken emergency contraception pill at least once in their life and 36.4% reported a frequency equal or greater than twice a year, while 17.5% considered it as a contraceptive method of habitual employment.
 Conclusions: Although the use of mechanical barrier methods as a method of contraception is not the objective of this study, we found that the condom is still the most commonly used contraceptive method by university students, but not used permanently or regularly. There is a high percentage of employment of emergency contraception pill, even with repetitive uses in short time periods. There is a high degree of conviction among young users about the contraceptive safety of the use of emergency contraception pill.