Internationellt pressmeddelande:
Contraceptive pill users risk pregnancy by failing to use back-up protection when needed

(Oss, The Netherlands): Over one-third of women (38%) continue to have unprotected sexual intercourse when they know the Pill’s reliability is compromised without always taking additional precautions, according to an international survey carried out by TNS-NIPO [1]. The Contraceptive Confidence and Consequences Survey also revealed that pregnancy scares have a major impact on men’s and women’s lives [2].

At the same time, the survey showed that awareness of all the circumstances when the Pill’s reliability is reduced is low. While 93% of pill users knew that a missed pill can reduce its reliability, less than half were aware that a late pill (44%) or use of antibiotics (37%) can do so.

“These figures are worrying. The Pill is a great method of contraception if used properly. However, many women find it quite difficult to take it correctly, and there are a number of situations outside a woman’s control that reduce the Pill’s reliability. Failure to use back-up contraceptive in these situations can put women at risk of pregnancy,” said Sanderijn van der Doef, psychologist/sexologist, Netherlands Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

“Although raising awareness of these issues is important, the nature of sex is such that there is a clear need for contraceptives that reduce the scope for error. In the heat of the moment it is very hard to be rational about such matters. Clearly, the less chance of things going wrong, the better.”

The survey showed that four out of five pill users have knowingly experienced situations when the Pill was no longer reliable. The most likely cause was missed pills cited by 79% of these women, although antibiotic use and vomiting were also cited by 24% of women. Previous research shows that over two-thirds of women regularly miss pills and one in five pill users miss a pill every month [3].

Over half of pill users and 40% of men whose partner used the Pill had thought they/their partner might be pregnant while on the Pill. Overall, 67% of women and 59% of men reported that pregnancy scares had a negative impact on their emotional life, rising to 72% and 67% respectively if their career was important to them. Just over quarter of women and men reported a negative impact on their work/study rising to 34% and 42% respectively among respondents who said their career/study was important to them.

Earlier results from the survey also showed that one in seven women using the Pill always or frequently feels relief at the start her period; and a further one in three occasionally does. Yet less than a third of women (29%) using the once-a-month vaginal ring contraceptive ever felt relieved - because of pregnancy scare - when their period started, similar to the proportion among women using an intrauterine device (28%).

“These findings highlight the need for methods of contraception that minimize the risk of incorrect use. Women concerned about missed pills or other situations that can reduce the reliability of the Pill should consider a non-daily method such as, the contraceptive ring. Its once-a-month action not only avoids the need for daily intake, but vomiting and commonly-used antibiotics do not reduce its reliability,” commented Sanderijn van der Doef.

Organon - with shared head offices in Roseland, New Jersey, U.S.A. and Oss, The Netherlands - creates, manufactures and markets prescription medicines that improve the health and quality of human life. Through a combination of independent growth and business partnerships, Organon strives to remain or become one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in each of its core therapeutic fields: reproductive medicine, psychiatry and anesthesia. Organon products are sold in over 100 countries, of which more than 60 have an Organon subsidiary. Organon is the human health care business unit of Akzo Nobel. Additional information about Organon is available through its corporate website, www.organon.com.

För ytterligare information

Mats Jonsson

Notes

  1. TNS NIPO is the Dutch partner of TNS, the third largest marketing information group in the world. TNS NIPO and her partners provide national and international organizations with market information and analysis, insight and advice in more than 110 countries worldwide. With a dedicated team of experienced and creative marketing information specialists, TNS NIPO offers high standard marketing solutions for profit and non-profit organizations in the consumer and business-to-business sector. You can find more information on www.tns-nipo.com. TNS is a trademark of Taylor Nelson Sofres plc.
  2. The Contraceptive Confidence and Consequences Survey questioned 8531 heterosexual men and women between 16 and 40 years in 14 countries (n>600 in each country) about their contraceptive use and experience. It was carried out in March/April 2005 using computer assisted web interviewing. The online survey was conducted by TNS-NIPO on behalf of Organon.
  3. The European Women on Contraception Survey was carried out in November 2003 by TNS NIPO and questioned over 2250 women aged 18 to 40 years from The Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Spain about contraception use and misuse.

Information avsedd för journalister.