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Prescribing contraception for young women
1Women's Health and Perinatology Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway. eskjelde@online.no
Summary
Specially qualified nurses and midwives can prescribe hormonal contraception, increasing access for young women. This has led to high uptake, demonstrating effective strategies for preventing unplanned pregnancies.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Public Health Policy
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
Background:
- Since 2002, qualified nurses and midwives have been authorized to prescribe oral contraceptives for women aged 16-19.
- This prescribing authority was later expanded to include most hormonal contraceptives, excluding the hormonal coil.
- The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of this expanded prescribing arrangement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the utilization of hormonal contraception among young women.
- To determine the impact of expanded prescribing rights for nurses and midwives on contraceptive access.
- To evaluate the overall effectiveness of the current contraceptive prescribing policies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a prescription register containing pseudonymized data on users, medications, and prescribers.
- Analyzed a cohort database of 29,821 women born in 1989.
- Examined prescription patterns for various hormonal contraceptive methods.
Main Results:
- By age 19, 75-79% of the cohort had obtained at least one prescription for oral or hormonal contraception.
- The mini-pill was prescribed to nearly 12% of the cohort; other methods like vaginal rings, injections, patches, and coils were less common.
- While doctors issued two-thirds of prescriptions, nurses and midwives wrote more for 17-18 year olds, with no difference in duration of use based on prescriber.
Conclusions:
- High rates of hormonal contraception use (nearly 80%) indicate strong awareness of unplanned pregnancy prevention.
- Expanded prescribing authority for nurses and midwives has demonstrably improved contraceptive availability.
- Young women are actively utilizing these expanded options, suggesting successful policy implementation.
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