Problems with contraceptive use and its consequences – A large
international research survey of 8500 women and men
E. Pérez Campos1, R. Sánchez
Borrego2, C. Hendrix3
1Requena Hospital, Valencia, Spain, 2Diatros Clinic,
Barcelona, Spain, 3TNS-NIPO, Healthcare, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Objective To
assess knowledge and experience of factors that impact contraceptive
effectiveness during typical use, and the consequences of pregnancy scares among
women and men.
Methods A large survey was conducted in 14 European countries of
heterosexual men and women aged 16-40 years.
Results A total of 4309 women and
4222 men completed the survey. The contraceptive Pill (37% women; 34% men) and
male condoms (36% women; 49% men) were the most commonly used methods. Almost
half (47%) of Pill users were unable to spontaneously name any situation where
the Pill’s reliability was compromised, and even when prompted, awareness of
these situations was low for both women and men. After prompting, more than 80%
of Pill users said they had experienced situations where they were aware that
the Pill was no longer reliable, primarily because of missed pills (79%), but
also due to late intake (36%), vomiting (24%) and antibiotic use (24%). Half of
Pill users (50%) and partners of Pill users (49%) continued to have sex when
they knew the reliability of the Pill had been compromised; 76% of these women
did not always use additional contraception. Over half (54%) of Pill users who
had experienced compromised reliability had had pregnancy concerns, most
commonly because they had forgotten to take the Pill (62% of these women),
compared with 65% of women using male condoms who cited torn condoms as the most
common cause for their concern. Two thirds (65%) of men assumed that their
partner would inform them if they suspected that their method’s reliability had
been compromised, whereas only 35% of women actually always informed their
partner. Pill users tended to take sole responsibility for the possibility of
pregnancy whereas women using condoms saw the responsibility as shared.
Conversely, men using condoms tended to take responsibility for the possibility
of pregnancy, whilst partners of Pill users thought the responsibility was
shared. Pregnancy scares had a negative emotional impact on 67% of women’s and
59% of men’s lives.
Conclusions Over a third of Pill users knowingly risk
pregnancy (and undergo the emotional consequences of pregnancy scares) by having
unprotected intercourse when the Pill’s reliability is compromised and many more
unknowingly risk pregnancy by not being aware of these situations. The findings
demonstrate the need for contraceptive methods that minimise the risk of
incorrect use.