IFPA partners with Durex on educational initiative aiming to prevent unintended pregnancy

August 2017 sees the Irish Family Planning Assocation (IFPA) and Durex Ireland partner for an educational initiative aiming to prevent unintended or crisis pregnancy in Ireland.

National advertisement runing August 2017:

Little research into crisis pregnancy in Ireland has been carried our since the 2012 publication of the HSE's Irish Contraception and Crisis Pregnancy Study (1). A new nationally representative survey (2) was commissioned by Durex in May 2017. It examined contraceptive practices among Irish people aged 18. This survey presents a snapshot of 2017 contraception and sexual health practices in Ireland.

The research shows that 24% of all women surveyed reported experiencing an unintended or crisis pregnancy in the past. 16% of 18-34 year olds reported having experienced an unintended pregnancy.

Commenting on the research, Dr Caitriona Henchion, Medical Director of the IFPA, said: “If a pregnancy would be a crisis for a woman or couple, then it makes sense to use a contraceptive method they can rely on. But this recent research shows that almost 1 in 10 couples are using an unreliable method—withdrawal—rather than condoms or other reliable methods of contraception. This is really concerning and shows that there is a need for more education and knowledge so that women are empowered to make the choice of contraceptive that’s best for them.”

The perception that unintended pregnancy only happens to young women is simply wrong: an increasing number of women aged over 35 are attending our pregnancy counselling services. But there have never been more contraceptive options.  These include hormonal methods, such as the pill, emergency contraception and a range of long acting reversible methods, but also vasectomy, and barrier methods, such as condoms and diaphragms.

IFPA doctors can discuss all these options with a woman and support her to decide on a method of contraception that suits her and that she and her partner can rely on to avoid unintended pregnancy.

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