标题：The Effect of Access to Emergency Contraceptive Pills on Women's Use of Highly Effective Contraceptives: Results From a French National Cohort Study
摘要：We examined changes in contraceptive behaviors after emergency contraception (EC) pill use. A nationally representative cohort of 2863 French women was studied to identify 272 instances of EC pill use. In 71% of the cases, we found no changes in contraceptive practices from the time of EC pill use to 6 months later: 41% of women continued use of highly effective methods and 30% continued less effective methods. Only 8.4% switched from highly effective to less effective methods. Improved access to emergency contraception (EC) pills has been shown to increase their use. 1 , 2 EC pills contain progestin alone or in combination with estrogen; they can be taken up to 5 days after an act of unprotected intercourse to prevent pregnancy. In France, the 1999 introduction of a dedicated EC pill available without a prescription resulted in a 72% increase in use. 3 Critics of increasing availability of EC pills have expressed concerns that easier access could have a negative effect on use of highly effective contraceptives, such as hormonal methods, an intrauterine device, or sterilization. We used longitudinal data to examine changes in women's contraceptive practices in the 6 months following EC pill use in a representative cohort of French women.
