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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Sara R Sills, NARAL/NY, 462 Broadway, Suite 540, New York, NY 10013, 212-343-0114, srsills@aol.com and Erica Poff, Sarah Lawrence College, 462 Broadway, Suite 540, New York, NY 10013.
College-age women have the highest rates of unplanned pregnancy and abortion in the United States. Widespread access to and knowledge of emergency contraception on college campuses could drastically lower the number of unplanned pregnancies among students in this age group. This study’s objectives were to examine the availability of and education about emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) at college health centers. Data was collected from 102 4-year colleges with on-campus health centers in New York State, through structured phone and written surveys. The findings were analyzed to ascertain the availability of ECPs, their cost, the level of education on campus regarding ECPs use and availability, accessibility during the week and weekends, availability of prophylactic prescriptions and the quality of referrals from health centers that are closed or those that do not provide ECPs. While a small majority of schools were found to provide ECPs (57%), the paper highlights a number of obstacles students face when attempting to access ECPs. The study goes on to suggests ways in which college health centers can improve availability of and access to ECPs for their students.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to
Keywords: Contraception, College Students
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.