The data relate to the first ten days of January and come from the computerized files of the clients of the pharmacies. But they show a trend. Pill sales of 2e generation increased by 20% and those of 3e generation recorded a decline of 6% compared to the same period in 2012. The warning issued in recent weeks by health authorities on the risk of venous thrombosis higher with new generation oral contraceptives seems to have been heard by women.
During a press conference on September 11, the Minister of Health had herself urged women to “review, with the attending physician during a consultation, or with a midwife or in a family planning center, the choice of the means of contraception adapted to the personal situation ”.
But Marisol Touraine had also indicated “that there is no need to give in to any panic”. It remains to be seen whether this second call was really followed.
The explosion in sales of 2 pillse generation at the start of the year deserves to be analyzed. Are these prescriptions for women who are choosing their method of contraception for the first time or for users who are switching from 3?e to the 2e generation? Likewise, it will be necessary to monitor the evolution of the number of abortions in recent weeks. In 1995, Britain had faced a 10% increase in terminations of pregnancy following a controversy of a comparable nature.
