UK poll highlights fears about access to emergency contraception | Contraception and family planning
Almost half of the UK population believe it will be difficult to access emergency contraception on Sunday, while nearly two-thirds think they will have difficulty after 10pm, according to a survey.
Research conducted by YouGov found that only 7% of people believe it would be difficult to access emergency contraception during daylight hours on weekdays.
The data, published by the College of Sexual and Reproductive Health, was based on a representative sample of 2,115 people from across the UK.
College calls for oral emergency contraception to be reclassified under general sales listing; This will allow products such as paracetamol, antihistamine tablets and antiseptic creams to be sold directly from stores.
Emergency contraception, commonly known as the “morning after pill”, is available in high street pharmacies, sexual health clinics, GP surgeries and NHS walk-in centres. But it is not stocked alongside over-the-counter drugs in corner shops, gas stations and supermarkets.
People living in the south-west of England, Northern Ireland or Wales mostly thought emergency contraception would be difficult to find on Sunday, while those living in the south-west or east of England generally believed it would be difficult to find at night.
Londoners were the most likely to think that access to emergency contraception would be possible on Sunday or after 10pm.
The survey also found that 61% of respondents support a wider retail presence, rising to 75% among 18 to 34-year-olds.
The university’s president, Dr Zara Haider, said a “simple solution” would be to make “safe and effective” medicines such as condoms and pregnancy tests more readily available in shops.
She added: “Women should not face unnecessary barriers to getting emergency contraception, especially when time is of the essence. But these findings show that a significant number of people are concerned they will not be able to get this medicine when they need it.”
“The decision to prevent an unwanted pregnancy is a fundamental human right and should not depend on the day of the week, time of day, your postcode or whether the local pharmacy is open.”
The proposal to reclassify emergency oral contraception is backed by a coalition of women’s health charities and medical schools, including the College of Pharmacy, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, MSI Reproductive Options and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.
The College of Sexual and Reproductive Health said any rollout should not replace existing pathways to access free oral emergency contraception, and detailed printed or digital information should also be provided to anyone purchasing oral emergency contraception, regardless of location.
This information should include details of appropriateness of use and drug interactions, as well as alternative methods of emergency contraception and signposting to online testing for sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health services, he said.
But the university argues that allowing the drug to be purchased directly from retail outlets would better reflect modern healthcare needs and help ensure people can receive treatment promptly after unprotected sex or birth control failure.
Haider said stocking medicines at retail outlets would “give women greater control over their reproductive health”, adding that the idea “significantly has the support of the majority of the public”.
