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Women's experience and satisfaction with emergency contraception.
S M Harvey1, L J Beckman, C Sherman
1Pacific Institute for Women's Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Family Planning Perspectives
|March 21, 2000
Summary
Women find emergency contraceptive pills highly acceptable and easy to use. This new contraceptive option is crucial for preventing unintended pregnancies following unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Contraception
- Public Health
Background:
- Acceptability of new contraceptive technologies is key to reducing unintended pregnancies.
- Limited data exists on the acceptability of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess women's experience and satisfaction with emergency contraceptive pills.
- To understand the acceptability of ECPs as a contraceptive option.
Main Methods:
- Telephone interviews with 235 women who received ECPs.
- Study conducted through a demonstration project at Kaiser Permanente medical offices in San Diego.
Main Results:
- High satisfaction reported with ECPs (91%) and willingness to recommend (97%).
- Most women (81%) experienced side effects, but this did not deter satisfaction.
- Reasons for needing ECPs included condom failure (45%) and unplanned sex (23%).
Conclusions:
- Emergency contraceptive pills are overwhelmingly accepted by women.
- ECPs are easy to use and not intended to replace regular contraceptive methods.
- ECPs represent a valuable addition to contraceptive options for preventing pregnancy after unprotected intercourse or method failure.