Post-coital pill, what’s the matter?
R. Ramos Murciano, A. Vargas-Machuca Benítez, A. Flores Barranco, R. Ángel Maqueda

SUMMARY

Objective: To find out the characteristics of users of postcoital pill, conditions of demand and to evaluate the real situation.

Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out in the basic zone of health of Coín (Malaga, Spain). The total amount of the user demanding the postcoital pill participated during a year, by means of the analysis of questionnaires fullfilled by the professionals.

Results and conclusions: We evaluated the frequency for teenagers (49%) and others users who resorted to the medical center during the first hours after the coitus (85% before the 24 hours) and also that of women who recognize to have used it in more than an occasion (38%). 75% of them allege breaking of the condom. We propose a greater effort in educative programmes for the adolescent population (which show high attendance and difficult access) and to establish consensus criteria that allow more control, always protecting their privacy. It would be necessary to reach consensus agreements, so that the performance in the case of younger woman would be clinically, legally and ethically as correct as possible.

KEY WORDS

Postcoital contraception, levonorgestrel, contraceptives.