Doctors Aren’t Telling Patients About EC
A study published this month found that very few doctors in the United States are telling their patients about the existence of emergency contraception. Based on surveys conducted in 2002, the researchers found that only 3% of those surveyed had ever had a doctor discuss EC with them, and of those who had seen their gynecologist in the previous year, only 4% had been informed about EC (Read the abstract for the full study.)
Since this data came from before EC was approved for over-the-counter use by women over 18, it is possible that the debates about that approval raised EC’s profile enough that more doctors are now talking about it. I’d be surprised if that was really the case though—doctors generally feel more need to discuss prescription products with their patients than over-the-counter ones, so a survey conducted this year could even find lower rates of physician counseling.
No one has more responsibility to provide women with information on EC (although reproductive justice organizations have definitely picked up some of the slack!) than doctors, so their silence is dangerous. This is the case particularly for women under 18, who still need a prescription for EC. One doctor interviewed for the article said he discusses EC with his patients regularly and prescribes it for his sexually active teenage patients to have on hand, just in case. “Emergency contraception is like a fire extinguisher. If your house catches fire, this is not the time to go out and buy one,” he said. “And if you have a contraceptive failure or, God forbid, you are involved in a nonconsensual sexual act, there is Plan B.”
Women of color were more likely (although still not very likely) to hear about EC from their OB/GYNs. Future studies should examine the correlations between EC counseling and urban locations.
I hope that this study generates some discussion within the gynecological community. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists was active in helping EC be approved for over-the-counter sale, so perhaps it will start doing more to encourage its members to discuss EC with their patients. In the meantime, the next time you go to your OB/GYN, ask her or him about EC and about whether she or he talks to other patients about it. Maybe gynecologists just need a little encouragement.
By Nora Niedzielski-Eichner