The British Pregnancy Advisory Service released statistical data which show that most women getting an abortion conceived while on contraceptive methods. This conclusion applies to women under 30 years of age, while older women conceived without any mean of contraception, as they believed they were already infertile.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas) shows data gathered from 150.000 women, age 15 and above, who had to get an abortion in the last three years. The results offered the conclusion that a new contraception method might be required, more effective than the ones available now.
Two thirds or women asking for bpas’ help reported being on one kind of contraception method at the time they’ve conceived.
Using the contraception pills
40% of the women who got an abortion in bpas clinics reported to have used contraceptive pills when they conceived. The contraception pill is one of the most popular contraception methods in the UK, with a rate of failure of 1%. However, this rate is calculated for the “perfect use†of the pill, which means any mistake in the pill usage may result in unprotected relations. Imperfect use of the pill includes missed pills, stomach issues and interference with other types of medication.
The condom
Women using the condom and still facing the issue of unwanted pregnancies were about a third of all the women entering bpas clinics. 35% of the woman using the condom got pregnant. The condom has a national rate of usage of 1 in 4 people and a perfect use failure rate of 2 in 100 women who became pregnant while using it. But the regular usage failure rate of the condom is up to 12 in 100 women who got pregnant. This regular use mean the condom is taken off improperly, inserted improperly or falling off during the act.
No condom, no pills, just luck-based or calendar-based
A small amount of women reports not using any contraception method at all. Even if it may sound kind of strange, the average age of this third group is above 30 and they assumed they are already infertile. This is due to fertility treatment marketing campaigns for women in their age group or just the experience of their friends and relatives unable to conceive after 30 years of age.
In numbers: 42% of women over forty and 31% of women between 15-24 years were part of this group. This second group had various reasons for not using contraception at all, the main reason being the intercourse was either unplanned or they were persuaded to do it.
Conclusions
It turns out that many women don’t feel they need to use long-term contraception as they don’t have a steady partner and don’t consider engaging in side-effects hormonal pills. Another strong belief among women was that they are infertile, due to age or previous health conditions like chlamydia.
To sum things up, many women underestimate their fertility or use contraception in wrong ways. This leads to the drastic option of suffering an abortion, which is a stressful procedure for the body. The scientists conducting this study concluded they are enthusiastic regarding the “pericoital†pill, a contraception method recently researched, meant to be used by women at the time of sex. This would bring benefits for women who don’t want to rely only on condoms or calendar to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
