Many women are popping the pill for more than its pregnancy-prevention benefit, according to a study by the Guttmacher Institute. The study finds 33 percent of U.S. teens and 14 percent of all U.S. women taking the oral contraceptive are doing so solely to treat menstrual cramps or for another purpose not related to birth control.
Overall, more than half of U.S. women use the pill at least in part for non-contraceptive purposes.
"It is well established that oral contraceptives are essential health care, because they prevent unintended pregnancies," Guttmacher study researcher Rachel K. Jones said in a statement. "This study shows that there are other important health reasons why oral contraceptives should be readily available to the millions of women who rely on them each year."
Pill survey
The researchers examined data from the National Survey of Family Growth, a poll administered by the National Center for Health Statistics. In-person interviews of 7,356 women ages 15 to 44 were conducted between June 2006 and December 2008, with results being weighted to ensure the findings were nationally representative.
No comments:
Post a Comment