Contraception is something that we are all familiar with but we still aren’t 100% when it comes to the most applicable contraception and what is actually available for women of all ages.
A new survey carried out by Bayer HealthCare highlighted the number of myths and misperceptions that continue to exist around family planning in the UK.
The survey suggests that better communication may be needed during GP consultations to help women understand the variety of contraceptive options available, with only 58% of women saying their doctor had explored all options with them when discussing their contraceptive choice.
Worryingly, more than 1 in 10 of the women surveyed think it’s impossible to get pregnant during their period. A shocking quarter of women had heard of ‘alternative’ barrier methods being used to prevent pregnancy, such as cling film, latex gloves or even a plastic bag.
Further to the results, 17% of women had relied on the withdrawal method in the past and 30% had taken emergency contraception with the Pill being the most popular method.
The Pill is also the most regular form of contraception with 48% of the women surveyed revealing this is their choice of contraception with 4 out of 5 women surveyed have taken the Pill at some point.
But results indicate that some may be selecting the Pill as a ‘default’ option due to low awareness of alternative methods.
The results highlight some important knowledge gaps when it comes to long-acting reversible contraception (or LARC) methods which are significantly more effective than the Pill in preventing pregnancy.
Depending upon which method of LARC is chosen, their contraceptive effect can last from 8 weeks or up to 3, 5 or even 10 years. Nearly a third of women had never heard of the hormonal implant, 27% had not heard of the contraceptive injection and more than a third were unfamiliar with the intrauterine system (IUS or ‘hormonal coil’) and the intrauterine device (IUD or ‘copper coil’). Just under half of women did not realise that intrauterine methods are placed in the womb and can be removed at any time. In fact, of the 15% who had considered using an intrauterine method but decided against it, nearly 1 in 5 had done so due to a lack of information and over three-quarters did not recall intrauterine methods being part of the GP discussion.
Dr Diana Mansour, Consultant in Community Gynaecology and Reproductive Healthcare at Newcastle Upon Tyne, said: “The healthcare professional has an important role to play in ensuring that all contraceptive options are discussed with women, including LARCs, which offer convenience and reliability as women do not need to think about taking them every day.”
She added: “Many women might be surprised to hear that LARCs are more effective in practice than user-dependent methods such as the Pill and have a number of additional lifestyle benefits. Despite many women expressing clear preferences for the qualities associated with LARC, use of these methods is low and women could be selecting the Pill merely as a default option.”
With awareness of LARC methods so low, it’s unsurprising that only 36% of women surveyed had ever tried a LARC method and 9% had tried an intrauterine method. This is despite expressing clear preferences for features associated with LARC methods: 77% of women said they would like a method they did not need to think about regularly and 67% would prefer a contraceptive to last several years.
Additional knowledge gaps and misperceptions identified in the survey also concerned the use of certain LARC methods in specific groups of women. For example, nearly half of women did not know whether an IUD, an IUS or an implant can be used in younger women or whether it can be used in women who have not had children.
Some were also unclear about when fertility would return and many thought that it would take several months with an IUS, an IUD or an implant. However, fertility returns to the women's usual level within a matter of weeks with all these methods.
Natika Halil, Director of Health and Wellbeing at sexual health charity FPA, commented: “This research highlights some important knowledge gaps and misperceptions that continue to exist around contraception. At FPA, our aim is to encourage positive conversations between women and healthcare professionals to ensure that all methods are communicated and any myths are accurately dispelled. Greater awareness of all the available options, including LARC, could not only help to reduce rates of unintended pregnancy, but also help women in search of a contraceptive that could suit their needs more than the method they may be using.”
Common myths of contraception
- 1. You can’t get pregnantwhile on your period
Over a third of today’s women (36%) have heard from others that this is true. This is, of course, a
myth. Sperm can survive up to seven days inside the female body and some women can ovulate quite soon after their menstrual period; it’s therefore important that women continue to use their contraceptive method at all times.
2. The withdrawal method is a fool proof method of contraception
Over a third of women (38%) have heard that you cannot get pregnant if the man withdraws before ejaculation and a further 17% of women have relied on the withdrawal method (also known as ‘coitus interuptus’) as a contraceptive. This is another myth and might be a factor contributing to the thousands of unintended pregnancies that occur in the UK each year; as many as 22 out of 100 women who practice the withdrawal method for one year are likely to get pregnant.
- 3. You can’t get pregnant if you have sex standing up
15% of women have heard this to be true, a further 14% have heard that you cannot get pregnant if you go to the toilet after sex and 16% have heard that you cannot get pregnant if you have sex in water. All completely false of course.
The survey was commissioned by Bayer HealthCare, and included 1,500 women aged 25-34 in the UK.
Tagged in Women's Issues