Fewer than half of schoolies are aware that emergency contraception is available without a prescription and just one in five know the effectiveness window, a Queensland study has found.

The findings, which come less than two months before Schoolies festivities begin, raise questions about whether the term ‘morning-after pill’ may be misleading teens and potentially contributing to unplanned pregnancies, the researchers say.

The Griffith University study analysed online survey responses from 498 school leavers aged 16-18 on the first day of the Queensland Schoolies Week in November 2017.

Participants were asked about their knowledge of the availability, safety and effectiveness windows of emergency contraceptive pills.