Healthy Habits - Birth Control Options

 With 45% of pregnanciesuUnplanned in the U.S., access to birth control options has never been more critical. A new survey reveals women want better communication about contraception options and shows discrepancies in factors influencing contraceptive use.

The survey was designed to assess current knowledge and understanding of birth control awareness, usage, affordability, and beliefs in the United States at a time when women’s healthcare choices are being limited or revoked.

It identified discrepancies in healthcare professional perceptions of their patients’ preferences about birth control and factors that influence selection. The survey also sought to explore possible reasons why, despite increased availability of birth control options for women over the past two decades, 45% of pregnancies in the U.S. remain unplanned.¹

Findings of the survey showed of those individuals who are concerned with unwanted pregnancy, 40% were not on birth control and 35% did not trust their birth control. Less than half of respondents said they discussed contraceptives with their healthcare professional (HCP) at their annual exam, while 74% of HCPs reported discussing birth control with their patients.

 

The survey was conducted in the fall of 2022, just months after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Other findings from the survey include:

 

• 60% reported they prefer contraception without hormones, and while 64% of HCPs believe their patients prefer contraception without hormones, most (59%) recommend hormonal methods.
• Effectiveness was the most important factor in choosing a contraceptive for 91% of patients surveyed; however, only 26% were aware that intrauterine devices (IUDs) are more effective than widely used oral contraceptives and condoms.

In this interview, Beth Battaglino, RN-C, CEO of HealthyWomen discusses the survey results and outline how those results call for encouraging better conversations between women of reproductive age and their healthcare professionals to ensure that women are being informed of their birth control options.

In addition, Battaglino talks about the need to call for development of even more innovative contraception options that meet the quickly changing needs of individuals of childbearing age.

Interview is courtesy: HealthyWomen and Sebela Women’s Health

Footnote available upon request