Knowledge and Perception of Senior High School (SHS) Students about Emergency Contraceptive Use in the Garu and Tempane Districts

Abstract

The perception and knowledge people have about family planning health services are likely to affect the kinds of decisions they are likely to make about the service. The main purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge and perception of Senior High School students about emergency contraceptive use in the Garu and Tempane Districts. A descriptive (cross-sectional) survey design adopted. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 248 students, who served as respondents. The sample was selected using the multistage sampling procedure. The data analyses were done using frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation and the independent sample t-test. The results showed that students had knowledge about emergency contraceptives. The results also, provided evidence that the students had negative perception about emergency contraceptive use. Furthermore, it was evident that male and female students had similar perception about emergency contraceptive use. It was recommended that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) should intensify their sex education as part of their health education programmes for students in the Senior High Schools.