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New research has found that there are serious misunderstandings and misconceptions among Irish women about contraception and fertility.
Research commissioned by the Well Woman Center in Dublin, released today, shows that there is also a “worrying over-reliance” on emergency contraception in many cases.
A survey of more than 1,000 women in Ireland found that there is a preference for the types of contraceptives that have been shown to be “less effective” in preventing pregnancy.
Nearly nine out of ten listed pregnancy prevention as the most important factor when choosing a contraceptive method.
Research conducted on women between the ages of 17 and 45 earlier this year revealed that the contraceptive pill and condoms are the most widely used contraceptive methods.
The number of respondents who said they used the pill was 28%, while 27% relied on condoms to prevent pregnancy.
The survey found that contraceptive failure is causing a pregnancy.
However, these are the most frequently cited methods in contraception failure by health experts and international research, according to the Well Woman Center.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of those surveyed said they had experienced contraceptive failure in the past and were using a condom or male sleeve when the contraceptive failed.
Slightly more than one in five (21%) said they were using the birth control pill when it failed.
The Dublin Well Woman Center said it is seeing a growing demand among women for long-acting reversible contraceptives, which have been shown to be a more effective form of contraception.
He also said that long-acting contraceptives are the most cost-effective in the long run.
Executive Director Alison Begas has asked the Government to prioritize her Program for Government Engagement on Access to Free Contraception, as recommended by the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment.
Last year, then-Health Minister Simon Harris established a Task Force on Access to Contraception.
Policy, regulatory and legislative issues are considered to improve access to contraception, following the recommendation of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment.
The group found that there are barriers to access to contraception for some people, including lack of local access, cost, embarrassment, discomfort and lack of knowledge.
It found that there was no pervasive affordability problem, with only 3% of respondents in the 2010 Irish Contraception and Pregnancy in Crisis Study identifying cost as a barrier to contraception.
He said that making contraception free to the user is not necessarily a solution and that any policy proposal should focus on accessibility, education and workforce capacity, as well as cost.
In June, the Government Program included free contraception for a staggered period, starting with women aged 17 to 25.
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