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

Abstract #116086

Kristen Wolff, Anjel Vahratian, PhD, MPH, Divya Patel, PhD, MPH, Xiao Xu, PhD, and Scott Ransom, DO, MPH, MBA. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, L4000 Women's Hospital, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 615-3576, wolffk@umich.edu

Emergency contraception (EC) can inhibit ovulation, fertilization, and implantation, thus reducing the risk of pregnancy when administered after unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure. It has been available in some form since the 1970s, yet many women remain unaware of its effectiveness or how to obtain EC when needed. Few physicians routinely discuss the option of EC during contraceptive counseling with their patients, so knowledge of, and access to EC remains limited. We sought to identify potential sources of restricted access to EC, including legislation, pharmacy access, and patient and physician knowledge, attitudes and practices. Specifically, we examined current and pending state and federal legislation regarding EC provision to help us better understand the government's role in influencing access. Next, we contacted all pharmacies within a ten mile radius of the University of Michigan to determine the ease with which women can gain access once they have a prescription. In particular, we examined each pharmacy's hours of operation, distance from campus, the selling price of emergency contraception, and whether it had EC in stock or could refer us to a pharmacy that does have it. Lastly, we administered surveys to a random sample of providers in Michigan who are most likely to have contact with patients seeking care following unprotected intercourse to assess their attitudes, practices, and satisfaction with dispensing emergency contraception. Findings from this study will enable women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and potentially promote future advocacy work towards improving access to family planning services.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, participants will be able to

• articulate existing and pending state and federal policies on the provision of emergency contraception;
• evaluate women's access to and barriers associated with emergency contraception provision via local pharmacies in a Midwestern college town;
• describe provider attitudes and practices in distributing emergency contraception.

Keywords: Contraception, Access and Services

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.