Representations and uses of emergency contraception in West Africa. A social anthropological reading of a northern medicinal product

Teixeira, Maria Glória; Guillaume, Agnès; Ferrand, Michèle; Adjamabgo, Agnès; Bajos, Nathalie

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.02.038

Cited by 29 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This builds on findings in other sub-Saharan African countries that young people's EC use is disconnected from prescribed use. [2][3][4] The findings provide insights into the features of contraceptive methods that young people consider highly desirable and question common assumptions held by reproductive health experts about young people's contraceptive practices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…[2][3][4] This raises the question of whether existing contraceptive technologies meet the needs of young people engaged in premarital sex. Emergency contraceptives are unique in offering discreetness, ease of use, and minimal (perceived) negative effects on future fertility and physical appearance, and these characteristics should guide the development of new contraceptive methods for young, unmarried people.…”

Section: 3mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Repeat users claim that ECs fit their everyday lives because they are convenient in situations where they have infrequent sex, the number of pills is small and they do not experience disturbing side effects. [1][2][3][4] In contrast, reproductive health experts, while acknowledging that ECs can be taken safely as often as needed, do not recommend them for regular use because they are less effective than other contraceptive methods and frequent use can result in menstrual irregularities. 5 ECs are intended and marketed as a "back-up" method to be used after unprotected intercourse, when other contraceptives have failed (for example, after breakage or slippage of condoms), after incorrect use of contraceptives (for example, after having missed one or more regular contraceptive pills), or after being forced or coerced into having unprotected intercourse.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Emergency contraceptive use in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Challenging common assumptions about young people’s contraceptive practices

Both

2015

Reproductive Health Matters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Drawing on an ethnographic case study of young people's (aged 18-29) use of emergency contraceptives (ECs) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this article highlights areas of disconnect between how reproductive health experts envision EC use and local meanings ascribed to ECs by young people. ECsdesigned by reproductive health experts to be used only in case of emergency -were preferred by study participants over other contraceptive methods because of their ease of use, discreetness, perceived minimal side effects on beauty and future fertility, and usefulness in navigating reproductive intentions. The findings point to features that young people find desirable when it comes to contraceptive methods and suggest that common assumptions of reproductive health experts about young people's contraceptive practices need to be reconsidered, namely: 1) that young people can plan for prevention of unwanted pregnancy by buying a contraceptive method in advance; 2) that existing contraceptive technologies are appropriate for young people; 3) that young people prefer to use modern contraceptive methods; and 4) that young people in premarital relationships aim to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: 3mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Emergency contraceptive use in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Challenging common assumptions about young people’s contraceptive practices

Both

2015

Reproductive Health Matters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Half of women were currently married, whereas more than half of men were single; 40 women and seven men had living children. Nearly all women and men had ever used a contraceptive norms around sexuality in contemporary urban Ghana, where it is now more common for single women to engage in sexual relationships; 14,15 however, to our knowledge, no studies have explored how individuals in Ghana make decisions about fertility and contraceptive use in the context of changing sexual norms and within relationships. In this study, we aim to understand the social and relational contexts in which reproductive decisions are made; we do not consider health facility-or provider-related influences (reported elsewhere 16 ), except when specifically identified by respondents as a pertinent influence.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fertility Decisions and Contraceptive Use at Different Stages of Relationships: Windows of Risk Among Men and Women in Accra

Osei

Mayhew²,

Biekro³

et al. 2014

IPSRH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…8 These studies show that in the absence of a coitus-related, female-controlled contraceptive method that does not interrupt sexual activity and is labeled and marketed for routine use, women have adapted an existing method to meet that need. There are obvious similarities between a potential pericoital contraceptive product and currently available emergency contraception; for example, both are coitus-related methods, and the same active ingredient may be used for both.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumer Perspectives on a Pericoital Contraceptive Pill in India and Uganda

Cover¹,

Drake²,

Kyamwanga³

et al. 2013

IPSRH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A substantial proportion of women in developing countries with an unmet need for family planning cite infrequent sex as a reason for not practicing contraception: 6-39% of women with unmet need in Sub-Saharan Africa and 14-35% in South and Southeast Asia.1 Notably, about one in four adolescent women aged 15-19 with unmet need report that they are not using a method because they do not have sex frequently. 2 For women who have infrequent sex, an oral contraceptive pill taken only at the time of intercourse may offer advantages in terms of convenience and ease of use; because this method is discreet and female-controlled, it may appeal to other women as well. Pericoital contraceptive pills-also referred to as "ondemand" or "real-time" contraceptives-are being considered as a way to address unmet need, especially among women who have sex no more than six times a month. There is currently no oral contraceptive pill marketed for such use. Women could take a pericoital contraceptive pill within 24 hours before or after intercourse, rather than daily. Levonorgestrel, one compound being considered as the active component in a pericoital pill, is a synthetic progestin that has been used as an active hormonal ingredient in daily birth control pills for about 40 years. It is also the key ingredient in contraceptive implants, hormone-releasing IUDs and emergency contraceptive pills. Levonorgestrel is off-patent and has a good safety profile. 3Studies from a number of countries suggest that some women are already using emergency contraception offlabel as an on-demand pill, demonstrating latent demand for a pericoital method.4-6 Women who do not have sex frequently are particularly likely to use emergency contraception as their regular method. 4 Moreover, a survey of women in urban Nigeria found that those who reported having used emergency contraception had done so an average of five times in a six-month period. 7 Interviews with WestAfrican women using emergency contraception as a regular method reveal a preference for the convenience of an "occasional pill" and for episodic, rather than sustained, exposure to hormones (reflecting their safety concerns about hormones that remain in the system). 8 These studies show that in the absence of a coitus-related, female-controlled contraceptive method that does not interrupt sexual activity and is labeled and marketed for routine use, women have adapted an existing method to meet that need. There are obvious similarities between a potential pericoital contraceptive product and currently available emergency contraception; for example, both are coitus-related methods, and the same active ingredient may be used for both. That said, a dedicated pericoital pill would be labeled and marketed for use within 24 hours before or after sex, as a routine contraceptive method. While repeat use of levonorgestrel does not pose any known health risks,

show abstract

Representations and uses of emergency contraception in West Africa. A social anthropological reading of a northern medicinal product

Cited by 29 publications

References 28 publications

Emergency contraceptive use in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Challenging common assumptions about young people’s contraceptive practices

Emergency contraceptive use in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Challenging common assumptions about young people’s contraceptive practices

Fertility Decisions and Contraceptive Use at Different Stages of Relationships: Windows of Risk Among Men and Women in Accra

Consumer Perspectives on a Pericoital Contraceptive Pill in India and Uganda

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About