More U.S. women using emergency contraception pill

Feb 19th – Data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth.

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1. The percentage of women who have ever used emergency contraception has increased to 11%, up from 4.2% in 2002.

2. The most likely users were women ages 20-24, where the incidence of use is about one in four (23%).

The U.S. Center for Disease Control has released a data brief on the use of emergency contraception among women ages 15-44 from its 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth. Nearly half of all pregnancies in the US are unintended, making contraception and pregnancy prevention a major public health concern. Emergency contraception pills (ECPs), also known as the “morning-after pill” can be taken within 3-5 days of unprotected intercourse or contraception failure and offer women one last chance to prevent pregnancy.

The survey found that the percentage of women who have ever used ECPs has been increasing: from <1% in 1995, 4.2% in 2002, and 11% of women in 2006-2010. This translates to a current incidence of use of roughly 1 in 9 women of reproductive age. Those most likely to use ECPs were young women ages 20-24, where the incidence of use was 23%. Other variables associated with use were women who were never married, those who were more educated, and Hispanic or non-Hispanic white women. Overall, fear of contraceptive method failure and unprotected sex were cited nearly equally as the primary reasons for using ECPs. However, unprotected sex was a more common reason for ECP use in black and Hispanic women and those with less education, while educated and white women were less more likely to use because of contraceptive failure.

Click to read the report on CDC website

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1. The percentage of women who have ever used emergency contraception has increased to 11%, up from 4.2% in 2002.

2. The most likely users were women ages 20-24, where the incidence of use is about one in four (23%).

 Further reading:

1. Uptodate: Emergency Contraception
2. Guttmacher Institute: Emergency Contraception State Policies
3. FDA: Plan B questions and answers
4. Unintended pregnancy in the US: incidence and disparities
5. Emergency Contraception: A last chance to prevent unintended pregnancy

In sum: The U.S. Center for Disease Control released a data brief on the use of emergency contraception among women ages 15-44 from its 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth. Nearly half of all pregnancies in the US are unintended, making contraception and pregnancy prevention a major public health concern. Emergency contraception pills (ECPs), also known as the “morning-after pill” can be taken within 3-5 days of unprotected intercourse or contraception failure and offer women one last chance to prevent pregnancy.

The survey found that the percentage of women who have ever used ECPs has been increasing: from <1% in 1995, 4.2% in 2002, and 11% of women in 2006-2010. This translates to a current incidence of use of roughly 1 in 9 women of reproductive age. Those most likely to use ECPs were young women ages 20-24, where the incidence of use was 23%. Other variables associated with use were women who were never married, those who were more educated, and Hispanic or non-Hispanic white women. Overall, fear of contraceptive method failure and unprotected sex were cited nearly equally as the primary reasons for using ECPs. However, unprotected sex was a more common reason for ECP use in black and Hispanic women and those with less education, while educated and white women were less more likely to use because of contraceptive failure.

Click to read the report on CDC website

By Maren Shapiro and Leah Hawkins

More from this author: New worldwide target for reducing preterm births by 2015, No cost contraception reduces unintended pregnancies, Active-Duty U.S. servicewomen have higher rates of unintended pregnancy

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