Health professionals’ attitudes to the deregulation of emergency contraception (or the problem of female sexuality)

Abstract

Emergency contraception can be used to prevent pregnancy up to 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse. Currently, this form of emergency contraception is only available on prescription, but there is a possibility that emergency contraception may be deregulated ( i.e. sold ‘over the counter’ by community pharmacists) in the future. This study used depth interviews to examine the views of 18 community pharmacists and six general practitioners towards the possible deregulation of emergency contraception. Most interviewees held overwhelmingly negative attitudes to such deregulation, in contrast to their professional bodies. Opposition to deregulation resulted from a clearly articulated set of assumptions about female sexuality, particularly that women are sexually irresponsible, chaotic and devious. We argue that these assumptions about female sexuality have a long and tenacious history. Health professionals’ attitudes towards emergency contraception (and their concomitant assumptions about women’s sexuality) are likely to undermine the provision of deregulated emergency contraception.