Effectiveness of emergency contraception in women after sexual assault

Emergency Contraception: Access and Challenges at Times of Uncertainty

BACKGROUND

The UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women's and Children's Health identified emergency contraceptive pills as 1 of the 13 essential underused, low-cost, and high-impact commodities that could save the lives of millions of women and children worldwide. In the US, 2 emergency contraceptive regimens are currently approved, and their most plausible mechanism of action involves delaying and/or inhibiting ovulation.

AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY

Abortion and contraception are recognized as essential components of reproductive health care. In the US, in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision on June 24, 2022, 26 states began to or are expected to severely restrict abortion. It is anticipated that these restrictions will increase the demand for emergency contraception (EC). Several obstacles to EC access have been described, and these include cost, hurdles to over-the-counter purchase, low awareness, myths about their mechanisms of action, widespread misinformation, and barriers that special populations face in accessing them. The politicization of EC is a major factor limiting access. Improving sex education and health literacy, along with eHealth literacy, are important initiatives to improve EC uptake and access.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, The Guttmacher Institute, Society of Family Planning, American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists, the World Health Organization, The United Nations.

THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES

A randomized noninferiority trial showed that the 52 mg levonorgestrel intrauterine device was noninferior to the copper intrauterine device when used as an EC method in the first 5 days after unprotected intercourse. This is a promising and highly effective emergency contraceptive option, particularly for overweight and obese patients, and a contraceptive option with a different bleeding profile than the copper intrauterine device.

CONCLUSIONS

EC represents an important facet of medicine and public health. The 2 medical regimens currently approved in the US are very effective, have virtually no medical contraindications, and novel formulations are actively being investigated to make them more convenient and effective for all patient populations. Barriers to accessing EC, including the widespread presence of contraception deserts, threaten to broaden and accentuate the already existing inequities and disparities in society, at a time when they have reached the dimensions of a public health crisis.

The Association of Emergency Contraception Legislation with Adolescent Births from 2000 to 2014

STUDY OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to examine the association of state-specific emergency contraception (EC) legislation and adolescent births.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This was an observational cohort study of adolescents aged 15-19 years in the United States from 2000 through 2014 to determine the association of adolescent birth estimates with EC legislation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

State-specific birth and abortion estimate data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Vital Statistics and Abortion Surveillance for the years 2000 through 2014.

RESULTS

After controlling for year, abortion estimates, and oral contraception pill utilization, estimated adolescent births for states with an expansive EC policy was 14% lower as compared with states without an expansive policy. Estimated adolescent births were 43% higher in states with a restrictive EC policy as compared with states without a restrictive policy.

CONCLUSION

Restrictive EC policies are associated with increased adolescent birth estimates, whereas expansive EC policies are associated with decreased adolescent birth estimates. Targeted advocacy strategies to reduce legislation that aims to restrict access to contraception may prove to be most beneficial to reducing unintended pregnancies.

Birth control knowledge among freshmen of four Italian universities

Since sexual health education (SHE) is not mandatory in Italian schools, we conducted a survey on freshmen of four Italian university campuses in 2012 to investigate the respective level of sexual health knowledge (SHK) in relation to birth control, with the aim to inform public health policy makers. A convenience strategy was employed to sample 4,552 freshmen registered with various undergraduate courses at four Italian universities: Padua university (Veneto Region); university of Milan (Lombardy Region); university of Bergamo (Lombardy Region); university of Palermo (Sicily Region). We investigated the level of SHK on birth control using 6 proxy indicators: (1) the average length of a woman’s period [outcome with 3 levels: wrong (base) vs. acceptable vs. correct]; (2) the most fertile interval within a woman’s period (binary outcome: correct vs. wrong answer); (3) the event between the end of a period and the beginning of the next cycle (binary outcome: correct vs. wrong answer); (4) the average survival of spermatozoa in the womb (binary outcome: correct vs. wrong answer); (5) the concept of contraception (binary outcome: correct vs. wrong answer); (6) the efficacy of various contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancies (linear score: 0–17). We fitted 6 separate models of multiple regression: multinomial for outcome 1; logistic for outcomes 2, 3, 4, 6; linear for outcome 6. Statistical estimates were adjusted for a number of socio-demographic factors. Results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) for the 4 multiple logistic regression models, linear coefficients (RC) for the linear regression model and relative risk ratio (RRR) for the multinomial logistic regression model. The level of significance of each risk estimate was set at 0.05. The level of SHK of freshmen sampled was rather low, as 60% interviewees did not know the average length of a woman’s period, the average survival of spermatozoa in the womb and the concept of contraception, whilst the most fertile interval within a woman’s period was known only to 55% of interviewees. The mean score of SHK on the efficacy of various contraceptive methods was only 5 (scale 0–17). Some categories of students were consistently and significantly less knowledgeable on birth control at multivariable analysis: males; students from the university of Palermo; those with vocational secondary school education and those not in a romantic relationship at the time the survey was conducted. The results of this survey clearly call for the introduction of SHE programs in Italian schools, as already done in several European countries. School SHE should start as early as possible, ideally even before secondary school. SHE should be holistic and delivered with a multiple agency coordinated approach involving the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, University and Scientific Research (MIUR), families, schools, public health departments, primary health care providers, pharmacists, media, other.

Objection of conscience or ideological instrumentalization? An analysis of discourses of managers and other professionals regarding legal abortion

This article sought to understand objection of conscience based on an analysis of the ideological formations that permeate access to legal abortion in cases of sexual violence in the perspective of workers and managers who work at reference centers. It is a qualitative research with semi-structured interviews of 20 workers (six of whom were also managers) of these services. The study used discourse analysis. Results show that objection of conscience emerged as a central discursive element. The contextualized analysis of the discourses showed an instrumentalization of the prerogative according to ideological reasons, flowing toward the organization of the following categories: the instrumentalization of objection of conscience and the disarticulation of the network; and instrumentalization of the objection of conscience in order to surveil and punish. We conclude that objection of conscience as discursive formation was re-signified so as to compose a complex and refined system of internal sabotage - both conscious and unconscious - of the health care services for women victims of sexual violence, despite the existing legal framework and advancements.

Sexual violence against women and care in the health sector in Santa Catarina - Brazil

This is a study on sexual violence against women in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina notified to the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) in the period 20082013. It aimed to estimate pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) resulting from sexual violence and to test the association between pregnancy, STIs and care provided in health services. In total, 1,230 pregnancy notifications and 1.316 STI notifications were analyzed. Variables were age, schooling, time to receive care, STI prophylaxis, emergency contraception, number of perpetrators and recurrent violence, which were analyzed using proportions and 95% confidence intervals. Associations were tested by adjusted and non-adjusted logistic regression with values expressed in odds ratio. The occurrence of pregnancy was 7.6%. Receiving care within 72 hours and emergency contraception were protective factors. The occurrence of STIs was 3.5%. Care within 72 hours and prophylaxis did not result in lower proportions of STIs. Further studies are required regarding this issue.

Unplanned pregnancy-risks and use of emergency contraception: a survey of two Nigerian Universities

BACKGROUND

The vulnerabilities of young women of low socio-economic status and those with little or no formal education tend to dominate the discourse on unplanned pregnancy, unsafe abortion and emergency contraception (EC) in sub-Saharan Africa. This article draws on a survey conducted among female undergraduate students to shed light on sexual behaviour and the dynamics of emergency contraceptive use among this cohort.

METHODS

The survey involved 420 female undergraduate students drawn using a multistage sampling technique, while a self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Univariate and bivariate analyses were applied to examine the factors associated with the use of emergency contraception.

RESULTS

Of the 176 female students who reported being sexually active in the year preceding the survey, only 38.6% reported the use of condom during the entire year. Of those who reported unplanned pregnancy anxiety n = 94, about 30.1% used EC, 20.4% used non-EC pills as EC, while others reported having used no EC. A few respondents (n = 3) had terminated a pregnancy under unsafe conditions. Awareness of EC (p < 0.001), knowledge of timing of EC (p = 0.001), perceived risk of unplanned pregnancy (p < 0.001), and level of study (p = 0.013), were significantly correlated with the use of EC.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed that educated youths engaged in high-risk sexual activities and also, sought recourse to unproven and unsafe contraceptive methods. Poor knowledge of EC methods and timing of use, as well as wrong perception about EC side effects, are barriers to the utilisation of EC for the prevention of unplanned pregnancy among the study participants.

History, policy and nursing practice implications of the plan b(®) emergency contraceptive

Numerous policy changes have expanded access to emergency contraception, such as Plan B®, in recent years. Plan B® is a progesterone-based medication that prevents pregnancy from occurring up to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse by preventing ovulation and tubal transport. Increased access to Plan B® allows women to make independent decisions regarding reproductive health. Nurses play an important role in providing education as well as comprehensive, compassionate and holistic care.

Gravidez após violência sexual: vivências de mulheres em busca da interrupção legal

No Brasil, a realização de interrupção legal de gestação consequente à violência sexual é permitida por lei. O objetivo deste estudo foi relatar vivências de mulheres após a violência sexual, no diagnóstico de gravidez, na busca pelo serviço de interrupção legal da gestação e durante a internação em um hospital universitário. Foi realizada pesquisa qualitativa com entrevistas semiestruturadas em dez mulheres de 18-38 anos e escolaridade ≥ 8 anos, após 1-5 anos da interrupção legal da gestação. As mulheres desconheciam o direito à interrupção legal da gestação, sentiram a violência sexual como experiência vergonhosa, mantiveram segredo e não procuraram qualquer atendimento imediato. O diagnóstico de gravidez provocou sentimentos de angústia e desejo de abortar. Para as mulheres que procuraram o setor de saúde suplementar as orientações foram precárias ou não aconteceram. O atendimento dos profissionais mostrou-se relevante para assimilação da experiência do aborto. É necessário divulgar o direito à interrupção legal da gestação e a existência de serviços que a realizam, e capacitar profissionais de saúde e segurança pública para atender esses casos.