Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115798

Susie Baldwin, MD, MPH¹, M. Rosa Solorio, MD, MSPH², Hongjian Yu, PhD³, and E. Richard Brown, PhD³. (1) Women's Health, Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System and UCLA, 1553 S Curson Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019, 323 481 5063, sbaldwin@mednet.ucla.edu, (2) Department of Family Medicine, UCLA, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 650, Box 957087, Los Angeles, CA 90095, (3) UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, 10911 Weyburn Avenue Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90024-2887

Emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) represent a safe, effective means for preventing unintended pregnancy. Because the benefits of ECP use are great, its risks minimal, and the window of opportunity for its utilization small, a number of states have legislated measures to increase women?s access to the drug. California is one of six states that have legalized ECP provision through pharmacists without a doctor?s prescription.

This presentation will describe knowledge and use of ECP and California's pharmacy access program among women of reproductive age, based on data collected in the 2003 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). CHIS, the largest population-based state health survey in the U.S., is conducted by telephone using a stratified sampling process and random digit dialing. The survey collects extensive information on health status, health conditions, health-related behaviors, health insurance coverage and access to health care services. In 2003, CHIS was conducted in 5 languages and surveyed over 42,000 households throughout the state.

This presentation will quantify knowledge and use of ECP among women and teens in California, and will describe levels of knowledge and use of ECP as they relate to age, ethnicity, education, income, family size, marital status, health insurance, having a regular source of care, region, country of birth, languages spoken, and immigration status. In particular, the presentation will examine knowledge and use of ECP among Latina women and teens.

Learning Objectives: By the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to

• describe the ECP pharmacy access program in California;
• describe knowledge and use of ECP among California women ages 15-44, with regard to social, demographic, economic, cultural, and geographic factors;
• identify factors which independently predict knowledge and use of ECP among women in California, with a particular focus on Latinas.

Keywords: Contraception, Pharmacies

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.