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Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Of Contraception Amongst Antenatal Patients At The University Of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt.


DO Allagoa
TK Nyengidiki

Abstract

Background: Failure to plan a pregnancy can adversely affect the health of the family as a whole. Consequently good knowledge, attitude and practice of family planning among women are important. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of contraception among antenatal clinic attendees in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
Method: A standardized self-administered questionnaire was administered to three hundred antenatal clinic attendees at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt over an eight weeks period. Information on sociodemographic variable, awareness, knowledge of various contraceptive options, source of information; utilization and reasons for use/none use were obtained. Data collected was analyzed using EPI info 2000 software. The results were presented as percentages, means, tables and charts.
Results: A total of 300 questionnaires were administered and 253 were retrieved. Majority of the respondents 234(92.5%) were aware of contraceptive usage. 38.7% of respondents had knowledge of the use of Lactation amenorrhoea method as a form of contraception. Amongst 26.5% of attendees who had used a contraceptive option previously the condom was the commonest contraceptive used. The antenatal Clinic was the source of contraceptive knowledge in 79% of the respondents. The commonest reason for use of contraceptive method was for child spacing while the fear of complication was the commonest cause of none use.
Conclusion: The contraceptive awareness amongst women attending antenatal clinic was high without corresponding increase in usage of available methods. Re-education on the complications of contraceptives may improve the contraceptive uptake.

Key words: KAP; Family planning; Antenatal Clinic.

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eISSN: 2992-345X
print ISSN: 0189-9287