[The French "pill scare": Did women go to a gynecologist more often to have an easier access to the IUD?]
La « crise des pilules » en France : les femmes ont-elles davantage consulté un.e gynécologue afin d’accéder plus facilement au DIU ?
Adolescent
Adult
Attitude to Health
Contraception
/ methods
Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal
/ administration & dosage
Cross-Sectional Studies
Deception
Female
France
/ epidemiology
Gynecology
/ ethics
Health Services Accessibility
/ ethics
Healthcare Disparities
/ trends
History, 21st Century
Humans
Intrauterine Devices
Mass Media
/ ethics
Middle Aged
Office Visits
/ statistics & numerical data
Public Opinion
Tablets
Young Adult
Access to health professionals
Accès aux professionnel·le·s de santé
Contraception
Crise des pilules
DIU
France
IUD
Implant
Pill
Pill scare
Pilule
Journal
Revue d'epidemiologie et de sante publique
ISSN: 0398-7620
Titre abrégé: Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique
Pays: France
ID NLM: 7608039
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Nov 2020
Nov 2020
Historique:
received:
29
06
2020
revised:
07
10
2020
accepted:
08
10
2020
pubmed:
10
11
2020
medline:
25
9
2021
entrez:
9
11
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
In December 2012, a media controversy about negative side-effects of oral contraceptives on women's health, also called "pill scare", broke out in France. While several analyses highlighted a change in women's contraceptive practices following this media controversy, no analysis has been conducted to determine the possible changes in their choices of health professionals and its repercussions on their contraceptive use. Our study is based on data from three population-based cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2010, 2013 and 2016 (Fecond 2010, Fecond 2013 and Baromètre Santé 2016) that collected information on women's contraceptive practices and the specialties of the health professionals having prescribed the methods they were using. Between 2010 and 2016, women went to a gynecologist or a midwife more often than to a general practitioner for prescription of a reversible contraceptive method. However, their changes in visiting prescribers did not explain the changes in their contraceptive practices observed over the period. In 2016, access to health professional remained largely dependent on women's socio-demographic characteristics: older ones and those from a more privileged social background or living in urban areas were more likely to consult a gynecologist for prescription of their contraceptive method. On the other hand, consultations of midwives for contraceptive prescription were more frequent among women with children and among those who relied on public health insurance alone. Following the "pill scare" that occurred in France in December 2012, the decision by some women to use the IUD instead of the pill led them to change health professionals, and also led practitioners to change their prescribing practices.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
In December 2012, a media controversy about negative side-effects of oral contraceptives on women's health, also called "pill scare", broke out in France. While several analyses highlighted a change in women's contraceptive practices following this media controversy, no analysis has been conducted to determine the possible changes in their choices of health professionals and its repercussions on their contraceptive use.
METHODS
METHODS
Our study is based on data from three population-based cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2010, 2013 and 2016 (Fecond 2010, Fecond 2013 and Baromètre Santé 2016) that collected information on women's contraceptive practices and the specialties of the health professionals having prescribed the methods they were using.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Between 2010 and 2016, women went to a gynecologist or a midwife more often than to a general practitioner for prescription of a reversible contraceptive method. However, their changes in visiting prescribers did not explain the changes in their contraceptive practices observed over the period. In 2016, access to health professional remained largely dependent on women's socio-demographic characteristics: older ones and those from a more privileged social background or living in urban areas were more likely to consult a gynecologist for prescription of their contraceptive method. On the other hand, consultations of midwives for contraceptive prescription were more frequent among women with children and among those who relied on public health insurance alone.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Following the "pill scare" that occurred in France in December 2012, the decision by some women to use the IUD instead of the pill led them to change health professionals, and also led practitioners to change their prescribing practices.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33162269
pii: S0398-7620(20)30465-X
doi: 10.1016/j.respe.2020.10.003
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal
0
Tablets
0
Types de publication
Historical Article
Journal Article
Langues
fre
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
347-355Informations de copyright
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