KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES AMONG OUT-OF-SCHOOL FEMALE YOUTHS IN IDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Unintended pregnancy among youths resulting from unprotected sexual activities poses a major challenge to their reproductive health. Use of Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs) which are of different brands has been identified to prevent unintended pregnancy. Studies have been carried out on the utilization and effectiveness of ECPs among older women but information on young women’s knowledge and its use will be useful in identifying gaps in knowledge and planning appropriate interventions. This study was a cross-sectional survey whereby data on respondents’ demography, knowledge as well as practice of ECPs were collected and these were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi square at p= 0.05. Mean age of respondents was 20.7±1.1 years and 37.9% were married. Knowledge of respondents on emergency contraceptives was assessed on a 18-point scale with scores of