title: Emergency contraception in Australia: the desired source of information versus the actual source of information.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine long-term trends in emergency contraception (EC) management by general practitioners in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from April 2000 to March 2012 were drawn from the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) program, a continuous cross-sectional survey of GP activity. We analysed consultations involving EC management, unwanted pregnancy management and emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) prescribing per 1000 GP encounters with women aged 14-54 years. Summary statistics were calculated with 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2000-2001, GPs managed EC problems at a rate of 5.50 per 1000 encounters (95% CI, 4.37-6.63). From 2004, after the ECP became available over the counter (OTC) in pharmacies, EC management, which includes ECP prescription, progressively declined. By 2011-2012, only 1.43 EC problems were managed per 1000 encounters (95% CI, 0.84-2.02) and only 0.48 ECP prescriptions were provided per 1000 encounters (95% CI, 0.14-0.82). Yet the management rate of unwanted pregnancy problems stayed relatively constant (rate in 2000-2001, 0.95 per 1000 encounters; 95% CI, 0.40-1.50; rate in 2011-2012, 0.88 per 1000 encounters; 95% CI, 0.41-1.36).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low rates of EC management by GPs since ECP became available OTC suggest that women may be obtaining information on EC elsewhere. Further investigation is needed to uncover the sources of this information and its acceptability and application by Australian women.
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. danielle.mazza@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Research Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Taft
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Research Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Helena C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Britt
authors.affiliation: ACT Medicare Local, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hobbs
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Safeera
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hussainy
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Bianca R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Brijnath
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital