More reasons to stop stalling on Plan B

While US Federal officials continue to pass the buck on the morning after pill, also known as Plan B, and several states try to deal with prescribing regulations, a study out of the UK offers further proof that Plan B should be available without a prescription, and in a manner that makes it easy to access quickly.

The situation in the UK is vastly different than in the US. In the UK the morning-after pill has traditionally been provided free in the UK by family doctors and family planning clinics. It became available over-the-counter at pharmacies in 2001.

The study, which is published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology suggests that pharmacies who provide fast and convenient access to the morning-after pill could be helping to prevent 10 per cent more unwanted pregnancies.

The British study compared 203 females aged from 13 to 20 who got the medication from family planning clinics and community pharmacies and found that women who went directly to a pharmacy got the morning after pill more than twice as quickly as those who went to their local clinic in 16 hours rather than 41.

Figures from the World Health Organization suggest that taking emergency contraception up to 24 hours after unprotected sex prevents 95 per cent of pregnancies, while taking it between 24 and 48 hours later prevents 85 per cent.

Other findings from the study include:

• Older teenagers tended to seek help quicker, with 14 year-olds taking almost four times as long (37 hours) as 20 year-olds (10 hours).
• The time it took to get the morning-after pill from family planning clinics was much more consistent, with the majority waiting between 38 and 42 hours.
• 72 per cent of those who obtained the morning-after pill from clinics were aged between 15 and 17, while 74 per cent who went to pharmacies were between 16 and 18.
• 25 per cent visited the pharmacy over the weekend and 26 per cent on a Monday.
• Two-thirds of girls under 16 said they needed the morning-after pill because they hadn't used any contraception. The other third blamed split condoms.
• Two-thirds of those in the 16 plus age group sought the morning-after pill because they had had a contraception failure either the condom had split or they had missed taking the pill.

Reference:
Access to emergency hormonal contraception from community pharmacists and family planning clinics. Gaye Lewington, South West Kent PCT and Kay Marshall, University of Bradford. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Volume 61.5, pages 605-608. (May 2006)