§ Baroness Noakesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by the Baroness Andrews on 7 May (HL Deb, col. 1092) and in the light of the reportContraception and Sexual Health 2001published in 2003 by the Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Department of Health, whether they believe that the average age of those prescribed the morning-after pill is 28. [HL2802]
§ Baroness Andrews:Survey data contained in the reportContraception and Sexual Health 2001shows that women aged 18 to 19 had the highest proportionate use of emergency contraception followed by women aged 16 to 17. However, a large number of women aged 20 and over also reported using emergency contraception and the data in the report can be used to calculate an average age of all women using emergency contraception, which is 26.5 years. In my Answer of 7 May about the average age of women using emergency contraception I was referring to research commissioned by Schering, the manufacturer of Levonelle (emergency contraception pill), which found that the average age of a woman purchasing Levonelle was 28 years. As both the surveys were based on relatively small samples of women, the data need to be interpreted with caution. However the average age of women supplied with emergency contraception in both surveys were broadly similar.
§ Baroness Noakesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by the Baroness Andrews on 7 May (HL Deb, col. 1092), whether they believe that the possibilty of sexually transmitted infections will not be detected by general practitioners if women visit them for the purposes of obtaining emergency contraception. [HL2803]
§ Baroness Andrews:Most testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is currently undertaken in genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics. We understand, though, that an increasing number of general practitioners are offering testing for STIs and may choose, where appropriate, to test for infection during a request for emergency contraception. However the incubation period for the most common STIs is often longer than the 72 hours within which requests for emergency contraception should be made. For example the incubation period for gonorrhoea can be up to 10 days and for chlamydia up to three weeks. Any infection resulting from the incident of unprotected sex leading to a request for emergency contraception is not likely to be detected at that time. GPs who do not provide STI testing, and other health professionals who supply emergency contraception, should advise women of the risk of infection from unprotected sex and provide appropriate advice on attendance at a GUM clinic for screening at a later date.