Over-the-counter contraceptive pills 'will not cut teenage pregnancies'
Wednesday 24th December 2008
Plans to make contraceptive pills available over the counter in pharmacies will not help to reduce the rate of teen pregnancies in Britain, it has been claimed.
According to a spokeswoman for the Royal College of GPs, the problem with the contraceptive pill is not its availability to young women, but rather their failure to take it regularly, which reduces its effectiveness.
Writing for the British Medical Journal Online, Dr Sarah Jarvis said use of long-acting methods such as implants or the coil should be encouraged among young women instead.
"Rather than making a potentially unreliable method of contraception more easily available, our best avenue for reducing unplanned pregnancies is to encourage general practitioners to help their patients to make the best choices," she stated.
Her comments come after the government gave the green light to a trial in London, which will allow women to obtain the pill without prescription by attending an interview with a qualified pharmacist.
Earlier this month, GP and contraceptive expert Dr Martyn Walling claimed long-acting methods of contraception are being rationed by some healthcare trusts due to funding shortages.
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