Abstract
Numerous studies have been published suggesting that emergency contraception (EC) is used repeatedly, but a lack of information regarding the profile of users makes it difficult to evaluate actual consumer habits. The aim of this study was to obtain information regarding the profile of users who obtain EC and other factors that might play a role, and to provide criteria to evaluate and improve the strategies of current contraceptive programs. This was an observational one-year study based on surveillance data on the provision of EC to women of reproductive age in 60 community pharmacies in Catalonia, Spain. In total, 941 notifications of dispensation of EC in Catalonia were received. A total of 44.2% of users said it was not the first time that they had taken the medication (repeat user). The percentage of users who used condoms was lower in repeat users compared to first-time users (56.7% vs. 64.4%, p < 0.05). A total of 25.7% of users stated that they did not use any barrier contraceptive method. The use of natural methods in repeat users was 53.8% in the subgroup who requested the medication after 48 h, significantly higher than in users who obtained the medication within the first 24 h (p < 0.05). A high percentage of repeat users with risky sexual behaviors were detected, suggesting that new measures must be implemented to provide information for this method, together with educational and preventive strategies.
Highlights
Use of Emergency Contraception from Sentinel Pharmacies in a Region of Southern Europe
The criteria for prescribing this medication are that it must not be used routinely and must never be considered a regular method of contraception, since users are not protected against sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [1,2,3,4]
The medicinal products currently used in Spain as emergency contraception (EC) are post-coital pills, which contain levonorgestrel (LNG) and ulipristal acetate (UPA) as the active substances
Summary
Use of Emergency Contraception from Sentinel Pharmacies in a Region of Southern Europe. The aim of this study was to obtain information regarding the profile of users who obtain EC and other factors that might play a role, and to provide criteria to evaluate and improve the strategies of current contraceptive programs. This was an observational one-year study based on surveillance data on the provision of EC to women of reproductive age in 60 community pharmacies in Catalonia, Spain. The medicinal products currently used in Spain as EC are post-coital pills, which contain levonorgestrel (LNG) and ulipristal acetate (UPA) as the active substances They obtained marketing authorization in 2001 and 2009, respectively, and were initially subject published maps and institutional affiliations
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