Emergency contraceptive use as a marker of future risky sex, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infection.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to examine whether emergency contraceptive use predicts future sex at risk for pregnancy, pregnancy, or sexually transmitted infection among young women.


METHODS
A secondary analysis of control group participants (n = 718) from a recent trial of advanced provision of emergency contraception was conducted.


RESULTS
We found no association between use of emergency contraception and either pregnancy or infection. Recent use predicted decreased occurrence of subsequent sex at risk for pregnancy among women with a history of sexually transmitted infection (relative risk [RR], 0.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15-0.97), whereas ever having used predicted increased occurrence among women who either were highly effective method users (RR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.05-2.01) or had no history of sexually transmitted infection (RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.04-1.65).


CONCLUSIONS
Information about prior emergency contraceptive use was not a useful predictor of subsequent pregnancy, infection, or sex at risk for pregnancy among these young women.
Sander
Petra M
PM
Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Raymond
Elizabeth G
EG
Weaver
Mark A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D003267:Contraception / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult