Availability Of Emergency Contraceptive Pills Research Articles

Awareness and attitude toward the use of emergency contraceptives among male and female adolescents of Jamnagar

Background: Emergency contraceptive methods help in preventing pregnancy following 72–120 h of unprotected sexual intercourse. Emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) are available over the counter (OTC) in India since 2005. In India, studies on emergency contraceptives have been mainly carried out on females. Both male and female partner owe responsibility for pregnancy. Hence, we carried out this study among both male and female adolescents. Objective: To find the awareness and attitude toward the use of emergency contraceptives among adolescents of Jamnagar. Materials and Methods: Our study included both male and female adolescent participants (MAP and FAP, respectively) who were educated upto Class Ten. A pre-validated and pretested questionnaire was used as a tool for the study. It contained questions on knowledge and attitude regarding ECP usage. Result: Completed questionnaires were obtained from 403 adolescents, MAP (n = 198) and FAP (n = 205). Knowledge about ECP was inadequate in adolescents (47% in MAP and 49% in FAP). Knowledge about cost was more in MAP (39%) than FAP (31%). Electronic media was the most common source of information in our study (43% by MAP and 36% by FAP). Knowledge about adverse reactions of ECP was poor in adolescents (19% in MAP and 21% in FAP). MAP had a more positive attitude compared to FAP with regard to availability of ECP as OTC medicines (43% and 36%, respectively). Conclusion: Education about ECP among adolescent population is necessary. There is a need of more studies on ECPs in rural areas and among less educated adolescents.

Association between increased availability of emergency contraceptive pills and the sexual and contraceptive behaviors of women

In the United States (US), access to emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) expanded to nationwide in 2006 when regulators allowed Plan B, a brand of emergency contraception, to be sold without prescription. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2010, I examined any association between increased access to these ECPs in the US and negative consequences. I found an association between increased access to ECPs and a 2.2 per cent higher probability of any sexual activity, a 5.2 per cent increase in the likelihood of reporting sex with multiple partners, an increase in the average number of partners by 0.35, and a -7.6 per cent decrease in the likelihood of injectable contraceptive use. These results suggest that policies in the US and other countries that expand access to ECPs should be paired with information on ECPs' lack of protection against sexually transmitted infections and relatively lower efficacy compared to other forms of contraception.

Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP) Use and Experiences at College Health Centers in the Mid-Atlantic United States: Changes Since ECP Went Over-the-Counter

Objective: To investigate the availability of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) at college health centers since ECP went over-the-counter (OTC) in 2006. Related issues, such as distribution procedure, existence of a written protocol, personnel involved, contraindications, follow-up procedures, methods of advertising, and staff attitudes, were examined. Participants: The sample included 135 college and university health centers in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Methods: Data were collected via telephone survey with the use of a 42-item survey instrument. Results: Forty-three percent of schools reported distributing ECPs, for an average of 10.6 years. Major changes in ECP distribution and usage since ECP went OTC related primarily to protocol in ECP distribution, advertising for ECP services, and ECP accessibility to university students. Conclusions: College health centers are responding to the OTC status of ECP in a number of ways, primarily relating to their distribution procedures and advertising techniques.

Emergency Contraceptive Pills: Knowledge and Attitudes Of Pharmacy Personnel in Managua, Nicaragua

As abortion is illegal in Nicaragua, postcoital contraception is an important option for preventing pregnancy. Emergency contraceptive pills are available in Nicaraguan pharmacies over the counter, but pharmacy personnel's knowledge and attitudes about this method can affect access. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Managua, Nicaragua's capital. Interviewers administered a semistructured questionnaire to 93 pharmacy employees to determine their knowledge of and attitudes toward emergency contraceptive pills. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations were used to examine responses of and differences between male and female employees. All participants knew about emergency contraceptive pills and reported experience selling them. The majority sold them at least once a week (92%), usually without a prescription (97%). Of participants who were aware that emergency contraceptive pills should be taken only after sexual intercourse, 45% knew that the pills can be taken up to three days afterward; none knew that the pills are effective up to five days afterward. More than one-third of all respondents (39%) thought the pills can induce abortion, and most overestimated contraindications and side effects. Large majorities believed the availability of emergency contraceptive pills discourages use of ongoing methods (75%), encourages sexual risk-taking (82%) and increases transmission of HIV and other STIs (76%). Sixty-three participants (68%) thought emergency contraceptive pills are necessary to reduce unwanted and unplanned pregnancy; 65% were willing to provide them to all women in need, although only 13% would provide them to minors. Managuan pharmacy personnel frequently dispense emergency contraceptive pills, but need additional education to accurately counsel women about the method.

Policy maker and provider knowledge and attitudes regarding the provision of emergency contraceptive pills within Lao PDR

BackgroundThe Ministry of Health (MOH) launched the National Reproductive Health Policy in 2005, which included recommendations regarding the use of emergency contraceptive pills (ECP). However, ECP have not yet been introduced officially in the public sector of the Lao PDR. Thus, their availability is limited. Understanding the knowledge of ECP and attitudes about their provision, barriers to use, and availability among health providers and policy makers is essential to successfully incorporate ECP into reproductive health services.MethodsQualitative research methods using in-depth interviews were employed to collect data from policy makers and health providers (auxiliary medical staff, nurses, and medical doctors). Altogether, 10 policy makers, 22 public providers, and 10 providers at private clinics were interviewed. Content analysis was applied to analyze the transcribed data.ResultsThe majority of policy makers and health care providers had heard about ECP and supported their introduction in the public sector. However, their knowledge was poor, many expressed inconsistent attitudes, and their ability to meet the demand of potential users is limited.ConclusionsThere is a need to train health providers and policy makers on emergency contraception and improve their knowledge about ECP, especially regarding the correct timing of use and the availability of methods. In addition, the general public must be informed of the attributes, side effects, and availability of ECP, and policy makers must facilitate the approval of ECP by the Lao Food and Drug Administration. These interventions could lead to increased access to and demand for ECP.

Emergency Contraception: Are Pediatric Residents Counseling and Prescribing to Teens?

Study Objectives (1) To assess pediatric residents' attitudes and practices related to counseling about and prescribing emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) for teens. (2) To determine whether attitudes, counseling, and prescribing practices vary among different levels of residency training. Design Questionnaire. Setting Two large inner-city academic medical centers in New York City. Participants Pediatric residents (PGY 1–3). Main Outcome Measures Attitudes, counseling and prescribing patterns of ECPs by the pediatric residents Results 101/120 residents participated in the survey; 35% PGY1, 38% PGY2, 28% PGY3. Less than a third (26%) reported counseling teens about the availability of ECPs during routine non-acute care visits and just over half (56%) provided ECP counseling during visits for contraception. Only 6% of pediatric residents reported that they prescribed ECPs often, while 42% never prescribed ECPs. The majority of the residents did not think that prescribing ECPs would encourage teens to practice unsafe sex or would discourage compliance with other contraceptive methods (70% and 68%, respectively). However, the majority (67%) also reported that they did not think that ECPs should be available over the counter, without prescription. Further analysis by year of training showed that more junior and senior residents than interns counseled adolescents about ECPs at both routine health care maintenance visits and at visits for contraception (32% vs 15%; 62% vs 42%, respectively), would provide adolescent girls with ECPs to have on hand prior to an episode of unprotected sex (52% vs 31%), and thought that ECPs should be available over the counter (39% vs 20%), P < 0.05. Conclusions Pediatric residents are missing opportunities to prevent unintended teenage pregnancy but they become more likely to counsel about and prescribe ECPs as they progress through residency training.

Availability of Emergency Contraceptive Pills at University and College Student Health Centers

The author used the stages of change model to determine how ready student health centers at surveyed universities and colleges were to make emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) available to students. Of the 358 centers that responded. 52.2% offered ECPs and 47.8% did not. The benefits of offering ECPs were listed as pregnancy prevention, the opportunity to introduce students to traditional contraception methods, and students' appreciation. Barriers to offering ECPs included institutions' religious affiliations, clinic and administrative staff objections, inability to prescribe or dispense medications, fear of liability, concern that ECPs would undermine students' use of traditional contraception methods, and no expressed need. Whether ECPs were available was associated with demographic characteristics of the institutions that responded, including geographic region, type of institution, size of student population, and students' status as commuter or on-campus residents.

Little knowledge and limited practice: Emergency contraceptive pills, the public, and the obstetrician-gynecologist

To assess Americans' knowledge and attitudes about emergency contraceptive pills and the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of obstetrician-gynecologists with respect to emergency contraceptive pills. A random sample of a national cross-section of 2002 Americans, age 18 and older, including 1000 women and 1002 men, was surveyed by telephone between October 12 and November 13, 1994. A nationally representative sample of 307 obstetrician-gynecologists, whose names were drawn from the American Medical Association Physicians' Masterfile, was surveyed by telephone between February 1 and March 21, 1995. Both Surveys addressed knowledge and attitudes about unplanned pregnancy and contraception options, including emergency contraception. Despite response rates of 50 and 77%, respectively, both unweighted samples closely mirror the populations from which they were drawn. Americans are not well informed about emergency contraceptive pills. Only 36% of respondents indicated that they knew "anything could be done" within a few days after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. Fifty-five percent said they had "heard of" emergency contraceptive pills, and only 1% had ever used them. Ninety-nine percent of obstetrician-gynecologists reported being "familiar" with emergency contraceptive pills. Twenty-two percent were "somewhat familiar." Among those who said they were "very familiar" with the method (77%), the majority considered emergency contraceptive pills to be "very safe" (88%) and "very effective" (85%). Overall, 70% of obstetrician-gynecologists surveyed said they had prescribed emergency contraceptive pills within the last year, but on an infrequent basis; 77% of those who prescribed emergency contraceptive pills did so five or fewer times. Public knowledge about the availability and use of emergency contraceptive pills is limited, as is the practice of prescribing the pills among obstetrician-gynecologists. Because patients rely on health care providers for information on birth control, health care providers can improve knowledge about the availability of emergency contraceptive pills among their patients.

Emergency contraceptive pills: a survey of use and experiences at College Health Centers in the mid-Atlantic United States.

The authors conducted a telephone survey to investigate the availability of the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) at college health centers in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Related issues, such as distribution procedure, existence of an ECPs protocol, personnel involved, contraindications, follow-up procedures, methods of advertising, and staff attitudes were examined. Of the 124 completed responses, 43 schools (35%) reported distributing ECPs. The major reasons the schools listed for not distributing ECPs (n = 81, 65%) were inadequate staffing, religious convictions, no perceived need, and the service was available from a source in the local community.