OBJECTIVE: To determine prescription contraceptive use in the UK. DESIGN: Observational study using a primary care database. SETTING: The Health Improvement Network (THIN). POPULATION: Women in THIN aged 12-49 years in 2008, registered with their primary care doctor for at least 5 years, and with a prescription history of at least 1 year were included. METHODS: THIN was searched using the Read and MULTILEX codes for the following methods: combined oral contraceptives (COCs), progestogen-only pills (POPs), copper intrauterine devices (Cu-IUDs), the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), progestogen-only implants, progestogen-only injections, and contraceptive patches. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence, switching, and duration of prescriptions. RESULTS: A cohort of 194 054 women was identified. The prevalence of contraceptive use was: COCs, 16.2% (95% confidence interval, 95% CI 16.1-16.3%); POPs, 5.6% (95% CI 5.5-5.6%); Cu-IUD, 4.5% (95% CI 4.4-4.5%); LNG-IUS, 4.2% (95% CI 4.1-4.2%); progestogen-only implants, 1.5% (95% CI 1.5-1.6%); progestogen-only injections, 2.4% (95% CI 2.3-2.4%); and contraceptive patches, 0.1% (95% CI 0.1-0.2%). Within 1 year, 9.8% of new COC users switched to alternative COCs, and 9.0% changed to a different method. Among new COC users who did not switch method, 34.8% did not continue use beyond 3 months, and were no longer using a prescription contraceptive. CONCLUSIONS: Among users of oral contraceptives who did not switch method, over one-third did not continue use beyond 3 months. This supports current UK guidelines recommending a follow-up consultation with a healthcare professional 3 months after the first prescription of COCs.
OBJECTIVE: To determine prescription contraceptive use in the UK. DESIGN: Observational study using a primary care database. SETTING: The Health Improvement Network (THIN). POPULATION: Women in THIN aged 12-49 years in 2008, registered with their primary care doctor for at least 5 years, and with a prescription history of at least 1 year were included. METHODS: THIN was searched using the Read and MULTILEX codes for the following methods: combined oral contraceptives (COCs), progestogen-only pills (POPs), copper intrauterine devices (Cu-IUDs), the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), progestogen-only implants, progestogen-only injections, and contraceptive patches. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence, switching, and duration of prescriptions. RESULTS: A cohort of 194 054 women was identified. The prevalence of contraceptive use was: COCs, 16.2% (95% confidence interval, 95% CI 16.1-16.3%); POPs, 5.6% (95% CI 5.5-5.6%); Cu-IUD, 4.5% (95% CI 4.4-4.5%); LNG-IUS, 4.2% (95% CI 4.1-4.2%); progestogen-only implants, 1.5% (95% CI 1.5-1.6%); progestogen-only injections, 2.4% (95% CI 2.3-2.4%); and contraceptive patches, 0.1% (95% CI 0.1-0.2%). Within 1 year, 9.8% of new COC users switched to alternative COCs, and 9.0% changed to a different method. Among new COC users who did not switch method, 34.8% did not continue use beyond 3 months, and were no longer using a prescription contraceptive. CONCLUSIONS: Among users of oral contraceptives who did not switch method, over one-third did not continue use beyond 3 months. This supports current UK guidelines recommending a follow-up consultation with a healthcare professional 3 months after the first prescription of COCs.
Authors: Christoph Patrick Beier; Luis A García Rodríguez; María E Sáez; David Gaist; Antonio González-Pérez Journal: Eur J Clin Pharmacol Date: 2018-05-31 Impact factor: 2.953
Authors: Sharon T Cameron; Anna Glasier; Lisa McDaid; Andrew Radley; Susan Patterson; Paula Baraitser; Judith Stephenson; Richard Gilson; Claire Battison; Kathleen Cowle; Thenmalar Vadiveloo; Anne Johnstone; Alessandra Morelli; Beatriz Goulao; Mark Forrest; Alison McDonald; John Norrie Journal: Health Technol Assess Date: 2021-05 Impact factor: 4.014
Authors: David Hubacher; Courtney A Schreiber; David K Turok; Jeffrey T Jensen; Mitchell D Creinin; Kavita Nanda; Katharine O'Connell White; Ila Dayananda; Stephanie B Teal; Pai-Lien Chen; Beatrice A Chen; Alisa B Goldberg; Jennifer L Kerns; Clint Dart; Anita L Nelson; Michael A Thomas; David F Archer; Jill E Brown; Paula M Castaño; Anne E Burke; Bliss Kaneshiro; Diana L Blithe Journal: EClinicalMedicine Date: 2022-07-16
Authors: Sharon T Cameron; Anna Glasier; Lisa McDaid; Andrew Radley; Paula Baraitser; Judith Stephenson; Richard Gilson; Claire Battison; Kathleen Cowle; Mark Forrest; Beatriz Goulao; Anne Johnstone; Alessandra Morelli; Susan Patterson; Alison McDonald; Thenmalar Vadiveloo; John Norrie Journal: Lancet Date: 2020-11-14 Impact factor: 202.731
Authors: Rebecca S French; Rebecca Geary; Kyle Jones; Anna Glasier; Catherine H Mercer; Jessica Datta; Wendy Macdowall; Melissa Palmer; Anne M Johnson; Kaye Wellings Journal: BMJ Sex Reprod Health Date: 2017-11-08