Revista de Gravidez e Saúde Infantil

Abstrato

Emergency Contraception and Abortion among University Students

Maureen Curley and Teresa Cuesta

Purpose: Women under age 25 have the highest rates of unintended pregnancies, emergency contraception (EC), and abortion. EC has not shown to prevent unintended pregnancies; yet some advocate for more availability. This study examined EC use and abortion among university students. Methods: This was a descriptive, international study. Demographic and reproductive data were collected on university students; (1) those that had an abortion and (2) those who did not. Chi-Squared and Fisher Exact Testing were used. Results: The sample included 151 students, including 89 who had an abortion. Significant differences were found between the abortion group and the no abortion group in: contraceptive use (88% vs. 69%, p < 0.020), emergency contraceptive use (73% vs. 29% p < 0.001), and frequency of emergency contraceptive use (62% vs. 27%, p < 0.001). Over 10% of the abortion group used EC from 4-6 times as opposed to 1.6% of those who were never pregnant. Discussion: The abortion group used EC more than the no abortion group, suggesting EC did not prevent pregnancy. We recommend to evaluate for: (1) for EC use, side effects, (2) high risk sexual behavior, (3) selfdestructive tendencies, and promote healthy, self-protection and positive self-image measures.