Think you know enough about contraception to ensure you’re protected and safe, think again. New research shows that two thirds of women surveyed feel they’ve not been provided with enough information.
Health on Female First
Long-acting reversible contraception (also known as as LARC) are methods of contraception that require administration less than once per cycle or month and their contraceptive effect is reversible, but the research commissioned from Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) shows women know little about them.
In an effort to raise awareness of LARCs, MSD, in partnership with the FPA (Family Planning Association), has launched the Love, Life & LARCs campaign.
LARCs include the contraceptive implant, contraceptive injection, IUD (intrauterine device also sometimes known as a coil) and IUS (intrauterine system, or a coil containing hormones).
Of those women surveyed, nearly two thirds had never heard the term LARC before.
In addition, after being provided with a definition of the term, less than half of respondents were able to correctly identify each of the four different types of LARC suggesting awareness of these types of contraception is low.
“Women need to take control of their contraceptive choices and ensure that they are being proactive about having conversations with their GP or nurse about the various options available to them,” said Dr Dawn Harper, GP and media medic with a special interest in Women’s Health.
“There are 15 methods of contraception for women to choose from and, from my experience, different methods may be more suitable for women at various stages of their lives. For this reason regular discussions between women and healthcare professionals are important to ensure that women have access to the contraception that best meets their current needs.”
Discussions between women and their healthcare professional often inform how women choose the contraceptive option that suits them best. GPs and practice nurses in particular are important, with 75-80% of contraceptive care taking place in primary care. Yet over three quarters of women surveyed said that their GP, nurse or family planning healthcare professional had not discussed LARC options with them and nearly a third had not had a conversation about contraception with their healthcare professional in the past year.
Currently in the UK up to 50% of pregnancies are unplanned, and this can affect the lives of women of all ages, crossing every socio-economic group while often adversely impacting on society as a whole. Reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies could help save the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds a year.
These results come at a time when the Department of Health and other experts are calling for increased awareness and access to all methods of contraception, including LARCs, in efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies.
The Love, Life & LARCs campaign aims to address misconceptions and encourage more informed discussions between women and their healthcare professionals about their contraceptive options. Evidence has shown that LARCs are amongst the most effective forms of contraception available as they are less subject to incorrect or inconsistent use by the user than most other available methods.
“For women, understanding the different forms of contraception and how each might fit her current life stage and style is really important,” commented Natika H Halil, Director of Communications, Health and Wellbeing at the Family Planning Association. “We are delighted to support the Love, Life & LARCs campaign in the hope we can encourage positive conversations between women and their healthcare professionals about what is most suitable for their individual needs”.
Tagged in Health Pregnancy Sexual Health Women's Health