ABSTRACT
Introduction: The reproductive health of young women is paramount for societal well-being. Given the independence, lifestyle, and sociocultural environment prevalent in tertiary institutions, there is a notable inclination towards sexual behavior, which has emerged as a significant concern both in Nigeria and globally). Contraceptive utilization is a pivotal strategy for averting unintended pregnancies and circumventing induced abortions. This study aimed at assessing the knowledge of contraceptives, use and factors affecting the utilization of contraceptives among Law students of the University of Benin, Benin City. Methods: Employing a descriptive research design, the study employed a cross-sectional survey approach with a structured, pretested, self-administered questionnaires. A non-probability sampling method was utilized in administering the questionnaires to 200-500 level law students. Data analysis utilized descriptive and inferential statistics employing excel and SPSS. Result: A total of 265 questionnaires were retrieved and duly computed. Majority of the respondents 187(70.6%) were between the age range of 20-24 years, females 169(63.8%), Christians 259(97.7%), were not in any romantic or intimate relationship 151(57%) and resided off campus 151(57%). Their mean total knowledge score was 5.63±2.17(range 0-12. The media, friends and health personnel were the single most mentioned sources of contraceptive knowledge 94(35.5%), 28(10.6%) and 29(11.0%) respectively. Only 82(30.9%) of the respondents agreed to have ever had sexual intercourse, and of these, only 56(21.1%) agreed to have used a contraceptive. Fifty-six (21.1%) of the respondents agreed to being currently sexually active and of these numbers only 30(11.3%) used a form of contraceptive. Of the 56(21.1) respondents who are sexually active, majority of them 39(69%) live off campus, while 13(23%) and 3(5.3%) live in the school hostel and with family respectively. P= 0.03. Conclusion: Although the awareness of contraceptives is high, the knowledge and utilization of contraceptives by law students of the University of Benin are low, thus there is a need to foster educative programs and seminars to improve knowledge and appropriate use of contraceptives when required to arrest the trend towards unwanted pregnancies. Keywords: knowledge, contraceptive, university, students, utilization, University of Benin.
