Birth Control Options for Women - Highlights

Highlights

Drug Approvals

• The Today Sponge is returning to the United States market. In April 2005, the FDA granted re-approval for the popular contraceptive. The manufacturer plans to begin national retail distribution later in the year.

Drug Warnings

• The FDA added a “black box” warning to the labeling of Depo-Provera. The label warns that long-term (more than 2 years) use of Depo-Provera can cause loss of bone density. The decline in bone density loss increases with duration of use and may not be completely reversible even after the drug is discontinued. The FDA recommends that Depo-Provera should not be used for longer than 2 years unless other birth control methods are inadequate. A 2005 study found that adolescents who stop taking Depo-Provera do regain bone density.

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Research

• Women who receive Depo-Provera injections have three times the risk of acquiring chlamydia and gonorrhea as women who do not use a hormonal contraceptive. The same study found that oral contraceptive use was not associated with increased risk.
• Direct access to emergency contraception does not increase risk-taking behavior, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study of young women ages 15 to 24 years found no increased rates of unprotected intercourse or sexually transmitted infections compared to control subjects.

Policy and Regulation

• Many US states are considering legislation that would allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense prescriptions on the basis of moral or religious objections. In response to reports of pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control pills, members of Congress in April 2005 introduced the Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act that would require pharmacies to fill prescriptions. The bill’s sponsors hope that passage of this act will help ensure women’s legal access to contraceptives.