Preventing unintended pregnancy: let us count the ways

Abstract

In today's Lancet, Fatim Lakha and Anna Glasier 1 Lakha F Glasier A Unintended pregnancy and use of emergency contraception among a large cohort of women attending for antenatal care or abortion in Scotland. Lancet. 2006; 368: 1782-1787 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (127) Google Scholar report that 42% of pregnancies in women attending the New Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Scotland, were unintended. Of women with unintended pregnancies, only 10% used emergency contraception in the cycle in which they became pregnant. Lakha and Glasier conclude that because of low usage, emergency contraception is unlikely to hold much promise in reducing unintended pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy and use of emergency contraception among a large cohort of women attending for antenatal care or abortion in ScotlandUnintended pregnancy is common, even among women planning to continue pregnancy. However, EC use is low even among women with no intention of conceiving, and is thus unlikely to reduce unintended pregnancy rates. Rather, we need to find ways to improve the use of regular contraception. Full-Text PDF Department of ErrorTrussell J, Raymond EG. Preventing unintended pregnancy: let us count the ways. Lancet 2006; 368: 1747–48—In this Comment (Nov 18), the first sentence should have read: “In today's Lancet, Fatim Lakha and Anna Glasier1 report that 28% of pregnancies in women attending the New Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Scotland, were unintended.” Full-Text PDF