Conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas sobre las Píldoras Anticonceptivas de Emergencia (PAE) en estudiantes de las áreas de la salud de la Universidad de Cuenca

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to stablish the knowledge, practices, and attitudes of the students of health sciences of the University of Cuenca on the Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECP). To this end, a cross-sectional and descriptive study was designed; A questionnaire that assesses three dimensions: knowledge, practices, and attitudes, with a total of 16 items each, as well as additional confirmatory questions was used as a data collection instrument. In a universe of 463 students from the last semester of health sciences careers, a probabilistic sample of 211 participants. The results revealed that there is a general knowledge friendly with ECP. However, in practice, most students have not recommended the use of ECP, when evaluating specific level of recommendations made by students, it is noted that specific ECP such as meloxican, levonorgestrel and ulipristal is minimum; In addition, it was found that the majority of students do not recommend the use of ECP in minors and neither suggest it as an alternative to family planning. As for attitudes, they are little favorable. Significant correlations of religion with some beliefs were found: PAE is abortive, women have no right to use them, they incite sexual life in adolescents, affect dignity, and promote promiscuity.