Two surveys were undertaken to review (1) provision of Chlamydia trachomatis screening by family planning (FP) clinics in the London region and (2) access to emergency contraception (EC) from genitourinary#10; medicine (GUM) clinics within the former North Thames region. The findings from the first survey suggest that there is insufficient screening (and treatment) in vulnerable groups attendin...

OBJECTIVE To identify knowledge of and attitudes towards emergency contraception (EC) in women from five European countries. METHODS In an internet-based survey, sexually active women aged 16 to 46 years from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK were asked about their use of and opinions on EC. RESULTS Overall, 7170 women completed the survey. Thirty percent reported having had unprote...

The aim of the paper is to highlight topics pertinent to present-day birth control and contraception. On the background of new developments in the pharmacology of birth control and family planning, the paper discusses their relevance for improving the most efficacious methods of contraception, i.e., Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) and Emergency Contraception (EC). In doing so, it fo...

Background: Unsafe abortion is a major public health problem in low-and-middle income countries. Young and unmarried women constitute a high risk group for unsafe abortions. It has been estimated that widespread use of emergency contraception may significantly reduce the number of abortion-related morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and ex...

OBJECTIVE To measure the level of repeat use of emergency contraception (EC) in family planning clinics (FPCs) in North and East Devon. DESIGN An audit of repeat use of EC was carried out in seven FPCs, in parallel with a client survey. All women seeking EC in the study period were included (n = 572). RESULTS Nearly 70% of women had 'ever' used EC prior to the study visit; over half had pre...

BACKGROUND The Ministry of Health (MOH) launched the National Reproductive Health Policy in 2005, which included recommendations regarding the use of emergency contraceptive pills (ECP). However, ECP have not yet been introduced officially in the public sector of the Lao PDR. Thus, their availability is limited. Understanding the knowledge of ECP and attitudes about their provision, barriers to...

CONTEXT The reproductive health hazards of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions are well documented. The potential of emergency contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancy in developed countries has been described, but in Nigeria, the awareness about the method is poor and no study has looked at efficacy. METHODS Between September and October 2001, a randomly selected sample of female...

BACKGROUND Although emergency contraception (EC) is available without a prescription, women still rely on doctors' advice about its safety and effectiveness. Yet little is known about doctors' beliefs and practices in this area. STUDY DESIGN We surveyed 1800 US obstetrician-gynecologists. Criterion variables were doctors' beliefs about EC's effects on pregnancy rates, and patients' sexual pra...

BACKGROUND With a high incidence of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion especially among unmarried women in developing countries, there is need to promote emergency contraception (EC). OBJECTIVE To assess the unmarried women's knowledge, attitude and practice of EC. METHODS A random sample of a cross-section of 594 unmarried women in Enugu, southeast Nigeria, was surveyed with question...

The intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUD) are considered important in reducing unintended pregnancy rates [1]. IUDs are useful immediately following induced first-trimester abortion, resulting in significantly fewer repeat abortions [2]. In addition, copper IUDs are more effective than emergency contraceptive pills, providing long-term contraception, if well tolerated [3]. They are also the ...