Does readily available emergency contraception increase women's awareness and use?

Background In Australia just over half of all women of reproductive age have experienced an unplanned pregnancy, many of which could have been avoided by use of emergency contraception. A dedicated emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) pack became available on prescription in Australia in 2002, and over the counter in 2004.Objectives To determine if availability of a dedicated over the counter ECP pack in Australia increased knowledge and use of emergency contraception (EC).Material and methods Women attending three free-standing abortion clinics in Sydney answered an anonymous questionnaire on their knowledge and use of the ECP. Group 1 (208 women) was recruited prior to a dedicated ECP pack being available, group 2 (308) after it was available on prescription, and group 3 (202) after it became available over the counter.Results Women who had heard about EC were significantly younger (p < 0.005). The mean age of women who had never heard about EC was 29.8 years compared to 26.3 for women who had heard about...