The latest research on the economics of free provision of the morning after pill reveals that free availability over the counter has not prevented teenage pregnancies and may have actually contributed to an increase in the number of sexually transmitted infections. The retrospective contraception is also available in certain pilot study areas to those under 16 years, does not require a prescription and is free of charge.
The business school at Nottingham University has demonstrated that making this drug more accessible is doing more harm than good. The results of their study revealed that there were as many teen pregnancies among the under 16s who had this free contraception available to them as there were pregnancies among those under 16 who did not have such access to the drug. They also discovered that sexually transmitted infections increased by 12% among this age group when the over the counter emergency contraception was made available and free from local pharmacies. The study will be published shortly in the Journal of Health Economics.
Although teenage pregnancies have fallen over the last 10 years, the UK still has the highest rate in western Europe.