Factors associated with knowledge and use of emergency contraception: A global analysis

Objective: We investigate knowledge and use of emergency contraception (EC) among women in 45 developing countries and examine how women who know and use EC differ from women who do not with respect to individual, household, and regional characteristics. Sample: Data used in this analysis come from Demographic and Health Surveys. Women ages 15 to 49 are included in the analysis. Methods: We describe proportions of women who have (1) heard of EC among all women and (2) ever used EC among those who have had sex and perform logistic regressions to examine characteristics associated with knowledge and use. Independent variables include marital status, age, education, household wealth, and an urban/rural indicator. Analyses are conducted individually for each country and then pooled for Latin America, Europe and West Asia, Africa, and Asia. Results: Generally rates of EC knowledge and use are low. EC knowledge is as follows: Latin America (34.78%), Europe and West Asia (24.43%), Africa (15.03%), and Asia (10.76%). Percentages of EC use are as follows: Latin America (3.48%), Europe and West Asia (2.32%), Africa (1.75%) and Asia (0.33%). Socioeconomic status is strongly associated with EC knowledge and use in all regions. Urban residence is associated with increased knowledge in all regions but increased use in only Latin America and Europe and West Asia. Patterns of knowledge and use with respect to marital status vary by region. Conclusions and Recommendations: Our findings support the need for broader dissemination of information on EC and a particular focus on lower-income individuals.