What women believe about oral contraceptives and the effect of counseling.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate Canadian women' s knowledge of the risks, benefits and side effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) and the effect of counseling.


METHODS
Six-hundred and forty-nine Canadian women filling an OC prescription at Shopper's Drug Mart stores completed the survey. Respondents recorded whether or not they had discussed 12 separate issues about OC use with their healthcare provider. Optimal responses to multiple-choice questions were compared between those reporting counseling to those reporting no counseling, using Fisher's Exact Tests. Women were also questioned on what they were told about associated cancer risks.


RESULTS
Eighty percent or more of the women selected the optimal response for the questions relating to dysmenorrhea, leg pain and co-medication. Less than half of survey respondents identified the optimal response for nausea, breakthrough bleeding, breast tenderness, acne, headaches and weight change. Counseling made a significant impact on selection of the optimal response for 7 of the 12 questions (p < 0.004, adjusted significance level). Fifty-two percent indicated that they did not know what they were told about the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer when on the pill. A significant proportion of women said they would phone their physician for relatively minor problems such as breakthrough bleeding (65%), breast tenderness (55%) and acne (54%).


CONCLUSIONS
The knowledge level of Canadian women on the pill regarding risks, benefits and side effects of the pill remains deficient in several key areas. Adequate counseling by healthcare providers can help women recognize the pill's positive health benefits, and may result in fewer unnecessary physician contacts and unwanted pregnancies.
Gaudet
Laura M
LM
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Kives
Sari
S
Hahn
Philip M
PM
Reid
Robert L
RL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D037001:Directive Counseling; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral