A survey on the sexual and reproductive health of French people reveals that starting a contraception before or at the time of first intercourse is linked to a lower risk of unwanted pregnancy afterwards. Researchers from the National Institute of Health (Inserm), study authors, interviewed 8,645 adults aged 15 to 49. They then selected 1,552 questionnaires completed by women under the age of 30 who had previously had sexual activity and contraception. The questions asked about the contraceptive methods used before, during and after their first intercourse. The goal: to assess the link between the start of contraception and the “reproductive trajectory”.
The results show that the average age of the first report was 17 years old and that 56% of women had started contraception at the time of this first intercourse. Among the others, 29% did so before and 16% after, says Inserm. The pill remains the only contraceptive used as early protection, often prescribed to regulate menstrual cycles, reduce pain or treat acne.
Be better informed
During the first report, the most used contraceptive is the condom, while for late contraception (one month after the first report), the pill is again at the top of the ranking. In the latter case, the link with an increased risk of unintended pregnancies is important. Almost 18% of the study participants got pregnant when they didn’t want to. In the case of late contraception, this figure rises to 34%.
“Several factors are associated with this phenomenon. Women who take late contraception are statistically less educated, more often from foreign countries or have difficulties in dialogue with their mother”, describes Caroline Moreau, co-author of the work. Those who choose early contraception would therefore be better informed. “The fact of taking the pill during the first report did not prevent the almost systematic use of a condom, in prevention of sexually transmitted infections”, she adds.
