Melissa Hobbs

Current contraceptive management in Australian general practice: an analysis of BEACH data

Objective: To determine current contraceptive management by general practitioners in Australia.

Pharmacy access to the emergency contraceptive pill: a national survey of a random sample of Australian women

BACKGROUND The emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) has the potential to assist in reducing unintended pregnancy and abortion rates. Since its rescheduling to pharmacy availability without prescription in Australia in January 2004, there is little information about Australian womens knowledge, attitudes and use of the ECP. The aim of this study was to measure the knowledge about the ECP and sociodemographic patterns of and barriers to use of the ECP. STUDY DESIGN A cross-sectional study, using a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey conducted with a national random sample of 632 Australian women aged 16-35 years. RESULTS Most women had heard of the ECP (95%) and 26% had used it. The majority of women agreed with pharmacy availability of the ECP (72%); however, only 48% were aware that it was available from pharmacies without a prescription. About a third (32%) believed the ECP to be an abortion pill. The most common reason for not using the ECP was that women did not think they were at risk of getting pregnant (57%). Logistic regression showed that women aged 20-29 years (OR 2.58; CI: 1.29-5.19) and 30-35 years (OR 3.16; CI: 1.47-6.80) were more likely to have used the ECP than those aged 16-19 years. Women with poor knowledge of the ECP were significantly less likely to have used it than those with very good knowledge (OR 0.28; CI: 0.09-0.77). Those in a de facto relationship (OR 2.21; CI: 1.27-3.85), in a relationship but not living with the partner (OR 2.46; 95% CI 1.31-4.63) or single women (OR 2.40; CI: 1.33-4.34) were more likely to have used the ECP than married women. CONCLUSIONS Women in Australia have a high level of awareness of the ECP, but more information and education about how to use it and where to obtain it are still needed.

The emergency contraceptive pill rescheduled: a focus group study of women's knowledge, attitudes and experiences.

Background and methodology The levonorgestrel-containing emergency contraceptive pill (ECP), amongst other strategies, has the potential to assist in reducing unintended pregnancy and abortion rates. Since the rescheduling of the ECP in January 2004 to over-the-counter (OTC) status from pharmacies in Australia, there is little information about Australian womens ECP knowledge, attitudes or practice. The aim of the study was to explore Australian womens knowledge of, attitudes towards and experiences of using the ECP, particularly since it has been available OTC. This paper reports a qualitative study using six focus groups, which were conducted between February and June 2007 in four Australian states with 29 women aged 16–29 years. Results Participants had a lack of specific knowledge about the ECP. Most were positive about the ECP being available OTC, however some expressed concerns about younger women misusing it. Womens experiences obtaining the ECP from the pharmacy were both positive and negative. Most women said they would use the ECP again if required and would recommend it to a friend. Pharmacists were seen as important suppliers of the ECP but women felt it was not their role to provide advice about contraception or sexually transmitted infections. Discussion and conclusions The findings from this study confirm views from other studies, which suggest that although women have some concerns in relation to OTC supply of the ECP, they believe that the deregulation of the ECP is a positive step. The data also suggest that women need to be provided with more information and education about the ECP.

Unplanned pregnancy and emergency contraception in Australia: Unsolved dilemmas

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2014 vol. 38 no. 2

PHARMACY ACCESS TO THE EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVE PILL (ECP) IN AUSTRALIA: POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS FROM TWO NATIONAL STUDIES

Aim: To understand if a sexual behaviour in a child is a sign of sexual abuse or neglect we need to investigate sexual behaviours among chil-dren. In the present study we investigated Swedish child ...Sexual dysfunction is a known complication of diabetes mellitus in both men and women. The aims of this study: 1. to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction 2. to identify the types of sexual dysfunction experienced by Muslim women with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Malaysia. Methods: This sequential mix-method study was conducted on married Muslim women with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who received treatment from three community clinics in Selangor, Malaysia. Female sexual function was assessed using Malay version of Female Sexual Function Index. Later, a few women were selected and interviewed using semi structured questions to obtain their opinion regarding their sexual function. Results: Eighty-one women participated in this study which found that sexual dysfunction was present among 27.2% women. Sexual dissatisfaction was the commonest symptom among these women and was observed in 48.1% of women followed by poor libido (45.7%). Sexual arousal disorder was observed in 25.9%, 23.5% complained of lack of lubrication, and 21.0% had vaginal discomfort. Orgasmic dysfunction was found in only 12.3% of these women. Semi structured interview revealed that women seek religious guidance, reading materials in magazines and traditional medicine to cope with sexual problems. All women expressed the importance of sexual health as they consider it as a religious obligation. Conclusion: Sexual problems are frequently experience by Muslim women with diabetes mellitus. Further investigation is necessary to determine the associated factors including sociocultural and religious influences.Proceedings from the 20th World Congress of Sexual Health, Glasgow, June 2011; World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). http://www2.kenes.com/was2011/info/Documents/jsm_v8_supp3.pdf