Key clinical point: In 2019, 41% of health care providers prescribed regular contraception at the same time as emergency contraception; this percentage was an increase from 2013-2014, but falls short of the US Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, first released in 2013.
Major finding: Health care providers in 2019 were more likely than health care providers in 2013 and 2014 to prescribe or provide contraception when providing emergency contraception (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.26) and to provide a copper intrauterine device (adjusted prevalence ratio 3.87). A total of 41% frequently provided or prescribed regular contraception at the time of providing emergency contraceptive pills (ECP), 16% of providers in 2019 frequently provided an advance prescription for ECPs, 8% provided a copper intrauterine device as emergency contraception, and 7% provided an advance supply of ECPs.
Study details: The data come from two cross-sectional surveys mailed to office-based physicians and public-sector health care providers in the United States in 2013-14 (2,060 respondents) and 2019 (1,420 respondents).
Disclosures: The study was published on behalf of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.
Source: Pagano HP et al. Womens Health Issues. 2021 Sep 9. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2021.07.006.