College Students' Perceptions of Emergency Contraception Provision

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The authors examined college students' perceptions regarding emergency contraception (EC) provision in light of the then pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision about the over-the-counter (OTC) status of EC. METHODS: We randomly sampled 7000 male and female students who were enrolled full-time at the University of Michigan during the winter 2006 semester. A total of 1585 (22.6%) students responded to our web-based survey and were included in these descriptive analyses. RESULTS: Nearly all (94%) respondents knew of EC. When asked whether EC should be made available OTC, 60% of respondents agreed, 23% disagreed, and 17% were unsure. If EC were to be made available OTC, 34% of respondents indicated that they (or their partner) would purchase EC in advance of need, and 44% stated that they would purchase it only after unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure. Advance discussion and provision of EC is underused. Only 10% of all female respondents indicated that their current healthcare provider had spoken to them about EC in a routine health visit, and just 5% of female respondents were offered a supply of EC in advance of need. CONCLUSIONS: Continued efforts are needed to ensure timely access to EC in this population.