Young women's accounts of factors influencing their use and non-use of emergency contraception: in-depth interview study.
OBJECTIVE
To explore young women's accounts of their use and non-use of emergency contraception.


METHODS
Qualitative study using in-depth interviews.


METHODS
30 women aged 16-25; participants from socially deprived inner city areas were specifically included.


METHODS
Community, service, and educational settings in England.


RESULTS
Young women's accounts of their non-use of emergency contraception principally concerned evaluations of the risk conferred by different contraceptive behaviours, their evaluations of themselves in needing emergency contraception, and personal difficulties in asking for emergency contraception.


CONCLUSIONS
The attitudes and concerns of young women, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, may make them less able or willing than others to take advantage of recent increases in access to emergency contraception. Interventions that aim to increase the use of emergency contraception need to address the factors that influence young women's non-use of emergency contraception.
Free
Caroline
C
Department of General Practice and Primary Care, Guy's, King's College, and St Thomas's School of Medicine, London SE11 6SP. caroline.free@kcl.ac.uk
Lee
Raymond M
RM
Ogden
Jane
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003267:Contraception / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D009014:Morals; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011203:Poverty; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D014504:Urban Health; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*
D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital