Contraception
Volume 74, Issue 3 , Pages 208-213, September 2006

Contraceptive failures and determinants of emergency contraception use

  • Hélène Goulard
    • ,
  • Caroline Moreau

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. INSERM INED U569, Hôpital de Bicêtre, 82 avenue du Général Leclerc, 94276 Le Kremlin Bicêtre Cedex, France. Tel.: +33 1 45 21 22 73; fax: +33 1 45 21 20 75.
    • ,
  • Fabien Gilbert
    • ,
  • Nadine Job-Spira
    • ,
  • Nathalie Bajos
    • ,
  • the Cocon Group

      Affiliations

    • The Cocon Group includes Jean Bouyer, Beatrice Ducot, Michèle Ferrand, Danielle Hassoun, Nadine Job-Spira, Monique Kaminski, Nathalie Lelong, Henri Leridon, Nicolas Razafindratsima and Josiane Warszawski.

INSERM, National Institute of Health and Medical Research, U569 “Epidemiology, Demography and Social Sciences,” IFR69, 94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

INED, National Institute for Demographic Studies, Paris, France

University Paris-Sud 11, Faculté de Médecine, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

Received 29 September 2005; received in revised form 16 January 2006; accepted 1 March 2006. published online 09 May 2006.

Abstract 

Objectives

Two years after emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) were made available without prescription in France, we investigated the determinants of ECP use in a representative sample of women at risk for unintended pregnancy.

Study Design

This study is based on data collected from a population-based cohort exploring contraceptive practices and abortion (N=2863).

Results

Among the 706 women at risk for unintended pregnancy during the first year of follow-up (2001), only 11.1% used ECPs. Women in stable relationships or using the same contraceptive method during the year were less likely to use ECPs than other women. The study also demonstrates that detailed knowledge of ECPs increases the probability of its subsequent use.

Conclusions

Given the low frequency of ECP use in cases of unintended pregnancy risk, these results suggest that information campaigns should be targeted not only at women with irregular contraceptive practices but also at women who experience errors in the use of their regular contraceptive method.

Keywords: Emergency contraception, Unintended pregnancy, Population-based survey, Contraceptive failure

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PII: S0010-7824(06)00087-4

doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2006.03.007

Contraception
Volume 74, Issue 3 , Pages 208-213, September 2006

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