The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #38885

Kenneth D. Rosenberg, MD, MPH¹, Erica Dale², and Alfredo P. Sandoval, MS, MBA¹. (1) Office of Family Health, Oregon Division of Human Services, 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 850, Portland, OR 97232, 503-731-4507, ken.d.rosenberg@state.or.us, (2) Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 50 Haven Avenue, B-17, New York, NY 10032

INTRODUCTION: Over half of Oregon pregnancies are unintended. Emergency contraception (EC; "the morning-after pill") has been used (as a combination of oral contraception pills) since the 1970s. New dedicated EC pills have increased the ease of their use.

METHODS: Oregon Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveys a stratified random sample of women after a live birth. In 1998-99, we interviewed 1867 women (65.4% response rate). Women were asked whether they had every heard of "emergency birth control (the 'morning-after' pill)."

RESULTS: 70.3% of new mothers said that they had heard of EC. The women most likely to have not heard about EC (in logistic multivariate analysis) were mothers with less than a high school education, with an annual family income below $30,000, and whose pregnancies were unintended.

DISCUSSION: Emergency Contraception (EC) is an important method for preventing unintended pregnancy. There are several ways in which public health professionals can help increase women's access to EC. They can educate providers and women of the availability of EC. They can encourage providers to prescribe advance prescriptions for EC. They can encourage state medical and pharmacy associations to collaborate (and state legislators to pass laws) allowing pharmacists to evaluate a patient's need for EC and provide counseling, referrals and EC pills if appropriate.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn the role of Emergency Contraception (EC) in prevention of unintended pregnancy; which women are least likely to know of the availability of emergency contraception; and what public health professionals can do to increase access to EC.

Keywords: Family Planning, Contraception

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.