NEW YORK (Reuters Health) — In a proactive programme where women can keep on hand at all times at least two free packages of emergency contraceptives — also known as the morning-after pill or Plan B — the pregnancy rates are no lower than when women have normal access to emergency contraception, study results suggest.Dr. Elizabeth G. Raymond, from Family Health International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and her associates theorised that making access to emergency contraception as easy as possible would result in fewer pregnancies.

In the “easy access” arm of the randomised trial, 749 women were given two free packages of the pills (levonorgestrel 1.5 mg, Plan B), which were replaced whenever the women asked for them.

In the “standard access” arm, 744 women were simply advised about how to obtain emergency contraceptive pills if they needed them. The subjects were sexually active females ages 14 to 24.

At the end of the 12 months, those in the easy access group had used significantly more pills sooner after unprotected intercourse, compared with the control group (12 hours versus 36 hours).

Nevertheless, the incidence of pregnancy per 100 person-years was 9.9 in the increased access group and 10.5 in the control group, not a significant difference.

The authors point out that the risk of STDs in the easy access group was slightly lower than in the control group, but not significantly different, relieving fears that easy access would increase STD rates.

Raymond’s group discounts the possibility that emergency contraceptive is not very efficacious. Moreover, the theory that emergency contraceptive is counteracted by increased risk-taking was proven not to be the case in their study.