Knowledge, attitude, and modern contraceptive use among students of a public university in Ghana

Abstract Background Modern contraception is crucial for reproductive health, yet usage remains low in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (28%) and Ghana (27%). Particularly, university students face barriers to consistent contraceptive use despite high sexual activity. We examined knowledge, attitude, and modern contraceptive use among health sciences students at a public university in Ghana. Methods We used a descriptive cross-sectional design to recruit 409 students from the public university, using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire mounted on Kobo Toolbox, and data were analyzed with STATA version 17. Descriptive analyses were performed, as well as logistic regression, which identified predictors of contraceptive use based on a Log Likelihood P-value ≤ 0.25 and a p < 0.05 after adjusting for confounders. The results are presented in graphs and tables. Results We found that while the majority of the respondents (61.6%) had high contraceptive knowledge, only 28.1% reported current use of modern contraceptives. Male condoms (55.7%) were the most commonly used contraceptives, followed by Pills (22.6%). More than half of the respondents (55.7%) possessed a high attitude towards contraceptive use. High knowledge (aOR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.20–2.79; p = 0.005) and positive attitude (aOR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.10–2.58; p = 0.017) significantly predicted contraceptive use. Conclusion Despite adequate knowledge, contraceptive use was suboptimal among the respondents, revealing a critical knowledge-practice gap. Targeted interventions addressing attitudinal barriers and improving access to long-acting methods are essential to advance SDG 3.7 on universal reproductive health access.