September 21, 2012 – The polling institute BVA carried out from March 15 to 30, 2012 a survey on emergency contraception among 3,775 fertile women aged 16 to 45 years. The results are sometimes astonishing.
Some figures on “risky” relationships
The survey reveals that 30% of these women have had a relationship “at risk of unwanted pregnancy” in the past year and that 80% of them, however, did not use emergency contraception. following this report. In addition, among these women, 50% never (or temporarily) never use contraception.
An unexpected opinion on the morning after pill …
These statistics are astonishing to say the least. While only 8 in 10 women choose not to take emergency contraception, 86% of women who have “risky” sex consider the morning-after pill to be a pill that we choose to take when we are responsible. to avoid unwanted pregnancy.
Does this mean that some of these women would consider and accept their behavior “irresponsible”? 66% of them also say that taking the morning after pill is a sign that they have been reckless with their contraception.
Misconceptions about emergency contraception …
A majority of women who have had “at-risk” sex in the past year are rightly aware that the morning after pill is less effective 24 hours after intercourse and that although it works well, it does not work as well. may still not work.
However, a very large proportion of these women continue to think that emergency contraception is 100% effective if taken the next day, that it has an abortive effect and can make it sterile, which is not true.
Why such a low rate of emergency contraception use?
The low use of emergency contraception is in fact linked to a lack of information. Almost half of the women who have had “risky” sex did not think about risking a pregnancy, and 20% simply did not think about taking the morning after pill.
In addition, contrary to what one might think, it is not doctors who are cited as the primary source of information on the morning after pill. In first place come the media, then educational institutions and finally the entourage.
As for women who have used emergency contraception …
One-third of women who used emergency contraception said they missed a pill and another third said that taking the morning-after pill was linked to a condom accident.
Among these women, nearly 90% obtained the morning-after pill from a pharmacy, most of whom considered the situation too urgent to make an appointment and have it prescribed by their doctor.
Sources: HRA Pharma and the BVA Survey Institute
