Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding emergency contraception among nurses and nursing students in two hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya

A cross-sectional descriptive study on knowledge, attitudes, and practice a bout emergency contraception (EC) was conducted among nurses and nursing st udents using a self-administered questionnaire. One-hundred-sixty-seven qua lified nurses and 63 nursing students completed the questionnaire. Over 95% Listed at least one regular contraceptive method but only 2.6% spontaneous ly Listed EC as a contraceptive method, whereas 48% of the respondents had heard of EC. Significantly more nursing students than qualified nurses were familiar with EC. Knowledge about the types of EC, applications, and side effects was poor and 49% of the respondents considered EC as an abortifacie nt. Of those: familiar with EC, 77% approved its use for rape victims and 2 1% for adolescents and schoolgirls. Only 3.5% of all respondents had person ally used EC in the past, 23% of those familiar with EC intend to use it in the future, whereas 53% intend to provide or promote it. The view that EC was abortifacient negatively influenced the decision to use or provide EC i n the future. The present findings suggest that the level of knowledge of E C is poor and more information is needed. These findings indicate the poten tial to popularize emergency contraception in Kenya among nurses and nursin g students. CONTRACEPTION 1999; 59:253-256 (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. A ll rights reserved.