Knowledge and attitudes of health care providers working in primary health care units concerning emergency contraception.

AIMS

The aim of the current study was to explore the extent of knowledge health care providers working in primary health care units in Aydin, Turkey, had about emergency contraception (EC), to determine whether they provide EC counseling, and to understand the barriers and misconceptions in this context.

METHODS

A total of 120 health care professionals working in primary health care units agreed to participate, including 71 midwives (59.2%), 21 nurses (17.5%), and 28 general practitioners (23.3%).

RESULTS

The study demonstrated that health care providers working in primary health care units had inadequate knowledge about EC. However, it also showed that study participants who had received education on EC were more likely to provide EC counseling during routine family planning counseling and were more knowledgeable about EC. A remarkable majority of the participants were aware of their knowledge deficit and were willing to receive education on EC. The present study also indicated that EC options were not made known to women as part of routine family planning counseling.

CONCLUSION

While the educational needs of health care providers concerning EC should be met, there is a need for new interventions to improve the attitudes toward and actions of primary health care providers regarding EC.