Sales of emergency contraception are estimated to rise by round 10% within the US within the week after the New Year vacation, suggesting that this era is related to elevated dangers of unprotected intercourse in contrast with different holidays, finds a research printed within the Christmas subject of The BMJ.
Other holidays resembling Valentine’s Day and Independence Day have been additionally related to a rise in gross sales, however to a lesser extent.
Although this annual spike in gross sales might sound humorous, the researchers level out that as many US states have elevated restrictions on abortion “it’s indicative of unmet contraceptive want that requires additional consideration.”
New Year’s Eve celebrations are related to elevated sexual exercise, which is much less prone to be protected because of elevated alcohol consumption. New Year’s Eve can be linked to greater charges of sexual assault and restricted entry to different types of contraception because of restricted opening hours of clinics, medical places of work and outlets.
To assess gross sales of emergency contraception following the New Year vacation, the researchers analysed retail scan information for levonorgestrel, a drugs which has been out there over-the-counter with no age restrictions since 2013.
Despite its widespread nickname because the “morning after tablet,” levonorgestrel is efficient when taken inside 96, and presumably 120, hours after unprotected intercourse although is extra prone to work the earlier it’s taken. This makes well timed entry of important significance.
They targeted on gross sales within the week following New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day from 2016 to 2022 in US shops together with grocery shops, drug shops, mass merchandisers, membership shops, greenback shops, and navy retailers.
To account for potential adjustments within the inhabitants prone to being pregnant, weekly gross sales have been divided by the dimensions of the feminine inhabitants aged 15 to 44 years outdated.
Overall, gross sales of levonorgestrel elevated by 0.63 items per 1,000 ladies aged 15 to 44 years outdated within the week after New Year’s Eve. Based on inhabitants estimates in 2022, this equated to nearly 41,000 extra capsules bought that 12 months.
The researchers additionally thought of different holidays which can be related to greater unprotected sexual exercise, together with Valentine’s Day, Independence Day and St Patrick’s Day.
Valentine’s Day was related to a rise in gross sales about half of the dimensions of the New Year’s enhance: 0.31 items per 1000 ladies. US Independence Day was related to a 0.20 enhance in gross sales and St Patrick’s Day was related to 0.14 enhance.
Holidays resembling Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Easter, weren’t related to a rise in gross sales.
The researchers level to some limitations. For instance, emergency contraception gross sales are usually not synonymous with use and the info don’t embody emergency contraception acquired by medical clinics, unbiased pharmacies and on-line gross sales. Differences in how and which holidays are celebrated and the way reproductive healthcare is accessed may additionally restrict the generalizability of the findings to different settings, they add.
Nevertheless, they are saying their outcomes counsel that the character of sure celebrations may make them essential public well being targets they usually counsel that “focusing on behavioral dangers, prevention methods to mitigate sexual violence, and bettering entry to contraception round holidays could restrict the dangers related to unprotected vaginal intercourse.”
“More than ever, emergency contraception is a critically essential choice for individuals within the US, significantly these residing in areas with bans or extreme restrictions on abortion,” they write.
“Future work will discover how different dynamics at play within the US context, together with state abortion restrictions, have an effect on emergency contraception buying habits and suggest potential public well being interventions to offer contraceptive care to those that want it probably the most.”
Source:
Journal reference:
Wagner, B., & Cleland, Ok. (2023). Retail demand for emergency contraception in United States following New Year vacation: time collection research. BMJ. doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077437.