ECPs were developed and marketed with the emergency aspect firmly in mind, but research and anecdotal evidence indicate that some women use them as a form of regular contraception, spurring efforts in the reproductive health community to explore the development of a coitally-dependent oral contraceptive pill.

The researchers asked women of reproductive age that how likely they would be to use a hypothetical precoital pill and why.

Bivariate logistic regressions indicated that women, with secondary education or higher, and who had ever used condoms or short-acting methods, were more likely to say that they would use this hypothetical pill. Women who had ever used a family planning method or ECPs were also more likely to say they would use this pill. The likely adopters reported that they would use the precoital method if it prevented pregnancy with little or no health problems and was convenient and easy to use.

The study concluded that should a safe and effective precoital hormonal pill become available then a significant number of women would adopt this method. Hormonal pills will be the contraceptive of choice if the concerns are addressed.

Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/40/3/170

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