Chukwuma B. Duru^1,, Anthony C. Iwu², Kelvin C. Diwe¹, Kelechi A. Uwakwe¹, Irene A. Merenu¹, Chima A. Emerole³, Uche R. Oluoha²

Background: Undergraduates of tertiary institutions are predominantly adolescents and young adults who are at various stages in a continuum of physical and psychological changes associated with enormous social interactions, relationships and risks. Objective: To assess the sexual behaviour, contraceptive knowledge and use among the female undergraduates in two tertiary institutions in Imo State, Nigeria. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study design carried out among 386 female undergraduates from two tertiary institutions in Imo State. They were selected using multi stage random sampling technique and information was collected using a pretested self-administered semi structured questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the participants studied was 22.3±3.3 years and 71.2% (262) of them have had sex before, out of which 72.5% (190) were currently sexually active. There was a high awareness about contraception (92.3%),though only 37.5% of them had good knowledge about contraceptives and the condom (51.6%), was the most mentioned. More than half of the participants (54.4%) reported the use of contraceptives with marital status and location of secondary schools attended by participants significantly affecting contraceptive use, p< 0.05. The condom (52.1%) was reported as the most commonly used contraceptive. Conclusion: Despite the high awareness of contraceptives noticed in this study, the knowledge level and the use of contraceptives among the participants were low. So there is a need to create better awareness about contraceptives and its use among students in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

sexual behaviour, contraceptive knowledge, contraceptive use, female undergraduates, Imo State