title: Cost of unintended pregnancy in Norway: a role for long-acting reversible contraception.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to quantify the cost burden of unintended pregnancies (UPs) in Norway, and to estimate the proportion of costs due to imperfect contraceptive adherence. Potential cost savings that could arise from increased uptake of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) were also investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  An economic model was constructed to estimate the total number of UPs and associated costs in women aged 15-24 years. Adherence-related UP was estimated using 'perfect use' and 'typical use' contraceptive failure rates. Potential savings from increased use of LARC were projected by comparing current costs to projected costs following a 5% increase in LARC uptake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total costs from UP in women aged 15-24 years were estimated to be 164 million Norwegian Kroner (NOK), of which 81.7% were projected to be due to imperfect contraceptive adherence. A 5% increase in LARC uptake was estimated to generate cost savings of NOK 7.2 million in this group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cost of UP in Norway is substantial, with a large proportion of this cost arising from imperfect contraceptive adherence. Increased LARC uptake may reduce the UP incidence and generate cost savings for both the health care payer and contraceptive user.
authors.affiliation: Senior Consultant, Real World Evidence Solutions, IMS Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Real World Evidence Solutions, IMS Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlueter
authors.affiliation: Director, Real World Evidence Solutions, IMS Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lowin
authors.affiliation: Health Economist, Bayer AB, Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lekander
authors.affiliation: Project Leader, Global Market Access, Bayer Pharma AG, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filonenko
authors.affiliation: Professor of Economics and Public Affairs; Faculty Associate, Office of Population Research, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trussell
authors.affiliation: Professor of Reproductive Epidemiology, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Finn Egil
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Skjeldestad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003267:Contraception / Q000191:economics*; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway; D011247:Pregnancy; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: health economics; long-acting reversible contraception