Abstract
ObjectiveRecent revision of the method used to estimate risk of pregnancy among women requesting medication for emergency contraception (EC) suggests that the effectiveness of EC may be lower than is generally believed. We undertook a population-based study to estimate the risk of pregnancy among women requesting EC from pharmacists in British Columbia under conditions of routine care. MethodsWe obtained data on time since unprotected intercourse and medication provided for women in British Columbia requesting EC from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2002. ResultsMore women obtained levonorgestrel (60.7%) than the Yuzpe regimen (39.3%) for EC, and of those reporting contraceptive failure, 90% requested EC because of condom failure. Overall, the estimated risk of pregnancy among the 11 795 women who obtained EC was 4.12 % (95% confidence interval 3.77–4.49). ConclusionUnder routine conditions, the population-based predicted risk of pregnancy is lower than has previously been estimated. This suggests that the relative reduction in pregnancies achieved with EC is lower than is currently assumed by clinicians and patients.
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