Make easy, effective contraception accessible to all
The news of a potential overturn of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that protects a pregnant person’s ability to choose abortion “shines a bright light on the importance of promoting the use of contraception,” and on the findings of the current review, Christine Laine, MD, editor-in-chief of Annals of Internal Medicine, wrote in an accompanying editorial. “Easy, effective, accessible, and affordable contraception becomes increasingly essential as ending unintended pregnancy becomes increasingly difficult, unsafe, inaccessible, and legally risky.”
The available evidence showed the benefits of enhanced counseling, providing emergency contraception in advance, and providing contraceptive interventions immediately after delivery or pregnancy termination, she wrote. The findings have strong clinical implications, especially with regard to the Healthy People 2030 goal of reducing unintended pregnancy from the current 43% to 36.5%.
Dr. Laine called on internal medicine physicians in particular to recognize the negative health consequences of unintended pregnancy, and to consider contraceptive counseling part of their responsibility to their patients.
“To expand the numbers of people who receive this essential preventive service, we must systematically incorporate contraceptive counseling into health care with the same fervor that we devote to other preventive services. The health of our patients – and their families – depends on it,” she concluded.
The study was supported by the Resources Legacy Fund. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose. Dr. Laine had no financial conflicts to disclose.