Accidental pregnancy may occur not through ignorance but because of difficulties experienced in using contraception effectively, says a survey by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) of women requesting abortion.
Of the sample of 2,140 women, 58 per cent said that they were using contraception on the occasion that they became pregnant;
38 per cent of these women were using a condom and 17 per cent were taking oral contraceptives. The BPAS says that the ability to use contraception consistently and effectively does not necessarily improve with age or experience, as the proportion of those who reported using no method of contraception was the same in women aged 17 or under as it was for those between 30 and 34 years of age. They add that the "real life" rate of contraceptive failure may be higher than most people appreciate.
The results suggest that women know that they need to use contraceptives to avoid pregnancy but find it difficult to use them properly. Hence, sex education and improved contraceptive services may lessen the need for abortion but they are unlikely to eliminate it, the BPAS concludes.