Claims that easier access to the Morning After Pill will lead to
fewer unwanted pregnancies are “completely without foundation,” the Iona
Institute has said.
The statement came in response to claims made in the wake of the
decision of the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) to approve a new version of
the Morning After Pill, making it available without prescription in
chemists.
In reaction to the news, Dr Catriona Henchion, Medical
Director of The Irish Family Planning Association, told RTÉ: “I think
it’s going to reduce unplanned pregnancies.”
However, speaking on behalf of The Iona Institute, Professor David
Paton of Nottingham University, said, “The claim that providing access
to emergency birth control without prescription will lead to fewer
unwanted pregnancies is completely without foundation. Every single
piece of peer-reviewed research on this subject to date has found no
evidence that easier access to EBC leads to lower rates of unwanted
pregnancies, abortions or teenage pregnancies.”
“This research is extensive, publicly available and the conclusions
are accepted by those in favour and against the principle of EBC. Given
this, it is hard to understand why policy makers would make such
ill-informed claims.”
Professor Paton, a leading expert on programmes designed to reduce
teen pregnancy, continued: “Even more worryingly, the most recent
research suggests that easier access to EBC may lead to higher rates of
sexually transmitted infections."
This claim is based on a new study by Professor Paton and colleague
Sourafel Girma published in the Journal of Health Economics called The impact of emergency birth control on teen pregnancy and STIs.
The Iona Institute urged policy-makers “to carefully consider whether
EBC should be made so easily available in the light of the fact that it
does not reduce rates of unplanned pregnancy and may increase rates of
STIs.”
Meanwhile, it emerged that, contrary to earlier reports, minors will
not be able to access the new version of the contraceptive.
While the
license granted by the IMB for the product did not provide for any age
limit, new guidelines produced by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
(PSI) mean that pharmacists must have regard to the age of anyone
seeking to buy it.
The guidelines point out: “Pharmacists should be aware that patients
aged 16 years and over are entitled by law to give their own consent to
medical treatment.”
However, it adds, “Where a patient is under the age of 16 years it is
usual that parental consent is sought. Pharmacists should also be
aware that the age of sexual consent in Ireland is 17 years. Where
appropriate, pharmacists need to assure themselves of the age of the
patient. Having regard to the age and circumstances of the individual
patient, and any child protection issues arising, pharmacists should
consider whether referral to a medical practitioner, other healthcare
professional, or other agency or authority, is appropriate."
Reports in the Irish Times had indicated that NorLevo would be available “over the counter by females of any age.”