Advance provision of emergency contraception to young men: An exploratory study in a clinic setting

Samantha Garbers; D L Bell; K Ogaye; A V Marcell; C L Westhoff; S L Rosenthal

doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2018.04.005

Advance provision of emergency contraception to young men: An exploratory study in a clinic setting

Contraception. 2018 Apr 17:S0010-7824(18)30141-0. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2018.04.005. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Samantha Garbers¹, D L Bell², K Ogaye³, A V Marcell⁴, C L Westhoff⁵, S L Rosenthal⁶

Affiliations

¹ Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: svg2108@cumc.columbia.edu.
² Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY, USA; New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA.
³ Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, New York, NY, USA.
⁴ Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁵ Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, New York, NY, USA; New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, New York, NY, USA.
⁶ Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Pediatrics, New York, NY, USA; New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA.

PMID: 29678366
DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2018.04.005

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the acceptability of advance provision of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) to young men seeking health care.

Methods: For this exploratory study in a clinic setting, we approached young men aged 16-35 to participate in a survey eliciting socio-demographics, sexual and contraceptive history, and knowledge about ECPs. We offered young men advance provision of ECPs and compared characteristics of 126 young men who did and did not accept the ECPs.

Results: Most (76%) of the participants accepted advance provision and left with an ECP pack, with even higher proportions among males whose sexual histories were suggestive of increased risk of involvement in an unintended pregnancy.

Conclusions: This study holds promise to inform scale up of advance provision of ECPs among young men.

Keywords: Adolescent [MeSH]; Contraception, postcoital [MeSH]; Emergency contraception; Male [MeSH]; Sexual risk.