Gross sales of emergency contraception estimated to rise after the New Yr vacation

Gross sales of emergency contraception are estimated to rise by round 10% within the US within the week after the New Yr vacation, suggesting that this era is related to elevated dangers of unprotected intercourse in contrast with different holidays, finds a examine printed within the Christmas situation of The BMJ.

Different holidays reminiscent of Valentine’s Day and Independence Day have been additionally related to a rise in gross sales, however to a lesser extent.

Though this annual spike in gross sales may appear humorous, the researchers level out that as many US states have elevated restrictions on abortion “it’s indicative of unmet contraceptive want that requires additional consideration.”

New Yr’s Eve celebrations are related to elevated sexual exercise, which is much less prone to be protected resulting from elevated alcohol consumption. New Yr’s Eve can also be linked to greater charges of sexual assault and restricted entry to different types of contraception resulting from restricted opening hours of clinics, medical workplaces and retailers.

To evaluate gross sales of emergency contraception following the New Yr vacation, the researchers analysed retail scan information for levonorgestrel, a drugs which has been obtainable over-the-counter with no age restrictions since 2013.

Regardless of its frequent nickname because the “morning after tablet,” levonorgestrel is efficient when taken inside 96, and presumably 120, hours after unprotected intercourse although is extra prone to work the earlier it’s taken. This makes well timed entry of vital significance.

They centered on gross sales within the week following New Yr’s Eve and New Yr’s Day from 2016 to 2022 in US stores together with grocery shops, drug shops, mass merchandisers, membership shops, greenback shops, and navy shops.

To account for potential modifications within the inhabitants prone to being pregnant, weekly gross sales have been divided by the scale of the feminine inhabitants aged 15 to 44 years previous.

General, gross sales of levonorgestrel elevated by 0.63 models per 1,000 ladies aged 15 to 44 years previous within the week after New Yr’s Eve. Primarily based on inhabitants estimates in 2022, this equated to virtually 41,000 extra drugs bought that yr.

The researchers additionally thought-about different holidays which can be related to greater unprotected sexual exercise, together with Valentine’s Day, Independence Day and St Patrick’s Day.

Valentine’s Day was related to a rise in gross sales about half of the scale of the New Yr’s enhance: 0.31 models per 1000 ladies. US Independence Day was related to a 0.20 enhance in gross sales and St Patrick’s Day was related to 0.14 enhance.

Holidays reminiscent of Mom’s Day, Father’s Day and Easter, weren’t related to a rise in gross sales.

The researchers level to some limitations. For instance, emergency contraception gross sales are usually not synonymous with use and the information don’t embody emergency contraception acquired by means of medical clinics, unbiased pharmacies and on-line gross sales. Variations in how and which holidays are celebrated and the way reproductive healthcare is accessed can also restrict the generalizability of the findings to different settings, they add.

However, they are saying their outcomes recommend that the character of sure celebrations would possibly make them vital public well being targets and so they recommend that “concentrating on behavioral dangers, prevention methods to mitigate sexual violence, and enhancing entry to contraception round holidays might restrict the dangers related to unprotected vaginal intercourse.”

“Greater than ever, emergency contraception is a critically vital possibility for individuals within the US, notably these dwelling in areas with bans or extreme restrictions on abortion,” they write.

“Future work will discover how different dynamics at play within the US context, together with state abortion restrictions, have an effect on emergency contraception buying conduct and suggest potential public well being interventions to offer contraceptive care to those that want it essentially the most.”