There has been a considerable increase in the over the sales counter of the morning-after pill with more women buying it from the nearby chemist. The figure has infact doubled over the year. Alarmingly, 46 per cent of women who used it said that condom failure was the reason behind the consumption.
The results of the study from the Office for National Statistics reveal that 50 per cent of the women who obtained the morning-after pill in 2004-05 bought it from a chemist. This is much greater when compared to 27 % between 2003-04. Until January 2001, the pill could be obtained only with a prescription.The percentage of women using the pill who obtained it from their physician fell from 41 % in 2003-04 to 33 % in 2004-05. There was also a considerable decrease in the prescription from a walk-in centre or minor-injuries from 11 % to 3 % while the percentage getting it from a family planning clinic remained constant at 21 %.
The report also says that the percentage of girls aged 13-15 who attended family planning clinics, having risen to almost 10 per cent in 2003-04 from 6 per cent a decade earlier. In 2004, about 50,000 girls aged 15, and 32,000 girls of 13-14, attended clinics.
It is appropriate to remember at this juncture that Britain has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Europe. The study also stresses the need for imparting health education regarding safe sexual practices among youngsters to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Medindia on pregnancy:
Pregnancy is the state of union between a sperm and an ovum in the uterus, the formation of a fetus that is nurtured in the mother's womb. Pregnancy covers the entire time frame of 40 weeks; from the minute the fetus is conceived to the moment of the birth.
