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Thursday, 17 August, 2000, 23:36 GMT 00:36 UK
Teenage girls fail with Pill
The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe
One in two teenage girls who become pregnant do so even though they have been prescribed
the contraceptive pill, according to doctors.
A study carried out in the Trent valley region found that girls were becoming pregnant
despite receiving contraceptive advice from GPs and in many cases being prescribed the
pill.
The study, carried out by doctors at the University of Nottingham, looked at the medical
history of 240 girls who became pregnant.
It found that three out of four had discussed contraception with their GP in the preceding
year while 121 girls had been prescribed the pill.
The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in western Europe, with 101,500
teenagers conceiving in 1998. For teenagers, contraceptive choices are complicated by the
fact that sexual intercourse is often sporadic, unexpected or coerced
On average one in three teenage pregnancies end with an abortion. The Trent study found
that termination rates were lower than the national average with almost one in four girls
opting for an abortion.
However, the study found that of those who chose to terminate their pregnancy, most had a
record of seeking emergency contraception. They were also less likely to have
sought medical advice on contraception or to have been prescribed the pill. The
authors said that this showed how important it was for doctors to follow up patients who
request emergency contraception.
"Teenagers who choose this method, however, may be at risk of unintended pregnancy,
possibly, because it is a marker of 'risk-taking' in sexual activity.
"This emphasises the importance of appropriate follow-up to address long-term needs
for contraception whenever a teenager consults for emergency contraception."
Writing in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal, they added that it raises
questions about whether people other than doctors should be allowed to provide emergency
contraception.
Pill without prescription
The Department of Health is piloting a programme which allows pharmacists to sell the
morning after pill to women without a doctor's prescription.
Writing in the same issue, Professor Basil Donovan from the University of Sydney suggested
that teenage girls were incapable of taking the pill every day at the same time as
prescribed.
He added: "For teenagers, contraceptive choices are complicated by the fact
that sexual intercourse is often sporadic, unexpected or coerced."
Oral contraceptives which rely heavily on human memory are not best suited to teenage
lifestyles
Prof Donovan suggested that doctors should consider prescribing alternative contraception
to teenage girls. He said more permanent forms of contraception like the IUD or
coil, which is inserted into the womb, may be better. "If teenagers
could take their fertility control somewhat for granted during the most precarious stage
of their sexual careers, then the ability to negotiate other complex aspects of their
sexual well-being could be enhanced."
Anne Weyman, chief executive of the Family Planning Association, said young people should
be made aware of different contraceptive methods.
"It may be that oral contraceptives which rely heavily on human memory are not best
suited to teenage lifestyles.
"Other methods such as an implant or an injection are highly effective and can be
stopped at any time."
A spokeswoman for the teenage sexual health charity Brook said: "We recognise that
more needs to be done to ensure that they are given the time and support to use chosen
contraceptive methods and advice effectively.
"Brook firmly believes that GPs need both the time to devote to young people and the
training to enable them to deal confidently and sensitively with them.
"Given this, young people will be better equipped to make well-informed contraceptive
choices and more effectively use the contraceptives they are given."
Source: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_884000/884569.stm)