The number of U.S. women using the “morning-after” contraception pill has risen dramatically in the last decade, federal health officials reported Thursday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4.2 percent of women in 2002 said they had used the pill, but between 2006 and 2010 that figure had jumped to 11 percent, which translates to 5.8 million women who were between 15 and 44 years old.
The study also found:
- Among different age groups, women in their early 20s were more likely to have taken a morning-after pill. About 1 in 4 did.
- About 1 in 5 never-married women had taken a morning-after pill, compared to just 1 in 20 married women.
- Of the women who used the pill, 59 percent said they had done it only once, 24 percent said twice, and 17 percent said three or more times.
This equates to about 1 in 9 women of all groups using the pill as of this study.
What is the Morning-after pill?
The morning-after pill is an emergency contraception pill with a high dose of estrogen to prevent a woman from getting pregnant if she had unprotected sex within a 72 hour window. The brand names of the morning-after pill are Ella, Next Choice, and Plan B One-Step.
If you're age 17 or older, Plan B One-Step and Next Choice are available over-the-counter at most pharmacies. If you're age 16 or younger, you'll need a prescription from your doctor or health care provider.
Many conservative groups, including Catholic institutions that oppose use of artificial birth control - especially morning-after pills, are challenging the rule, saying its religious exemption is too narrow.
A separate CDC report, also released on Thursday, found that 99 percent of sexually active women of reproductive age have used some form of contraception, with the use of condoms and longer-term, non-pill methods on the rise.
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