Emergency contraception from pharmacists misses opportunity

doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7296.1245

BMJ 2001;322:1245 ( 19 May )

Letters

Emergency contraception from pharmacists misses opportunity

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ I hope that the predicted reduction in unplanned pregnancies and abortions will result from pharmacy access for emergencycontraception, as described by Harrison-Woolrych et al in theireditorial.¹ The possibility of risk displacement, however,rendering this move ineffective in the same way as has been postulatedfor condom use² makes this far from certain. What is certainis that the opportunity for detection of sexually transmitteddiseases and reduction of risk has beenmissed.

A tunnel vision approach to reducing unplanned pregnancy may do nothing to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseasesand can increase it.³ Many, if not most, women in need of emergencycontraception will also be at risk of sexually transmitted diseases.If, in taking a history to explore the need for emergency contraception,a doctor did not also gently explore the risk of sexually transmitteddiseases and advise the patient appropriately, I would . . . [Full text of this article]

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Rapid Responses:

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