Women who ask for morning-af ter pill are urged to try the coil instead
WOMEN asking for the morning-after pill at pharmacies or GPs should be told to use a coil instead, according to official guidelines. Some 95 per cent of women who ask for emergency contraception are given the morning– after pill.
However, while effective, it relies on the pill being taken correctly within 72 hours – and before ovulation. A coil, which is also known as an intrauterine device or IUD, works for five days after unprotected sex.
The IUD – a small, T-shaped copper device that is inserted in the uterus – also provides long-term contraception that can last for up to ten years. The guidelines were issued yesterday by health watchdog NICE – the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – which said abortion rates could be driven down if more women could be persuaded to use coils.
Others criticised the guidance – saying the morning-after pill was convenient and easy to take.
But NICE said the coil is the best way to avoid becoming pregnant after unprotected sex.
The coil, which is inserted by a nurse or doctor, is more than 99 per cent effective and works as soon as it is implanted. It can be left in place for up to a decade, but if a woman decides she wants to get pregnant it can be removed quickly.
The morning-after pill is slightly less effective – between 98 and 99 per cent. But these statistics apply only if it used correctly, and it is not considered suitable for regular use.
Professor Gillian Leng, of NICE, said: ‘It is really important that all contraceptive services are providtop ing women with the best advice about contraception.
‘We want to empower women with the best information about all methods of contraception and their effectiveness so they can make an informed decision. We also want to ensure women are told the coil is more effective than the pill as emergency contraception.’
Leicester GP Dr Jan Wake, who helped draw up the guidelines, said: ‘The advantage of the coil, on of being more effective is that it can be retained and used as longterm contraception, some can even be left in place for ten years.
‘Timing, however, is essential and women deciding on the coil should make contact with the clinic they have been advised to attend as soon as is possible.’
About one in five pregnancies is unplanned – but the numbers are falling, with teenage pregnancies at their lowest since records began.
However, not all experts were impressed by the latest guidance. Ann Furedi, chief executive of family planning charity BPAS, said: ‘Many women are satisfied using pills and condoms.
‘They do not want a coil, they simply need swift access to emergency contraceptive pills when their preferred method occasionally fails or is forgotten.
‘This standard does little to improve access to emergency hormonal contraception for the many women who cannot obtain it for free under a local pharmacy scheme – and are forced either to pay up to £30 or make appointment with their GP, wasting time and resources for both the woman herself and the health service. Contraception should always be a woman’s choice, never imposed by a clinician.’
‘Should be a woman’s choice’