November 2020. After using oral emergency contraception (EC), women remain at risk of unintended pregnancy, and thus subsequent use of effective contraception is advised. A study in the United Kingdom tested innovative strategies to bridge EC provision to the uptake of ongoing contraception methods. In this study, a supply of the progestogen-only pill, and an invitation to a sexual and reproductive health clinic, were provided to women who had presented to community pharmacies for emergency contraception. This intervention resulted in a clinically meaningful increase in the subsequent use of effective contraception.
The full article is available on The Lancet’s website: Cameron, S. T., Glasier, A., McDaid, L. M., Radley, A., Baraitser, P., Stephenson, J. M., Gilson, R., Battison, C., Cowle, K., Forrest, M., Goulao, B., Johnstone, A., Morelli, A., Patterson, S., McDonald, A., Vadiveloo, T., & Norrie, J. D. T. (2020). Use of effective contraception following provision of the progestogen-only pill for women presenting to community pharmacies for emergency contraception (Bridge-It): a pragmatic cluster-randomised crossover trial. Lancet, 396(10262), 1585-1594. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31785-2