Teva Women's Health, Inc. Launches National Awareness Campaign To Call Attention To High And Unchanging National Pregnancy Rate

FRAZER, Pa., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly half of women aged 18-49 who have been pregnant (43 percent) report that they have had one or more accidental or unintended pregnancies, according to results from Contraception in America: A National Landmark Survey of Women of Reproductive Age and Physicians Treating Women(i),sponsored by Teva Women's Health, Inc. In fact, nearly half of the 3.1 million unintended pregnancies that occur in the U.S. each year occur in women who reported taking contraception during the month they conceived.(ii)

"Many women still don't understand their risk of pregnancy and others are not using contraception correctly and consistently, which are reasons why the unintended pregnancy rate in the U.S. remains so high," said Rebecca Brightman, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., clinical instructor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a voluntary attending at the Mount Sinai Hospital. "Even with so many contraceptive options available today, we as healthcare providers must help women better identify effective methods that meet their individual needs and family planning goals. Also, since access to contraceptives is expected to improve later this year when co-payments for birth control are removed for most women in the U.S., now is the time to empower women to approach family planning with the same attention they give to their career and financial planning."

In response to the survey results and the high and unchanging national unintended pregnancy rates, Teva Women's Health is developing the What Will You Do? Campaign, a consumer-facing call-to-action designed to improve education among women about reproductive health planning and encourage patient/provider dialogue about effective contraception options. Data from the landmark survey, which included 1,000 women 18-49 years of age and 201 physicians, helped inform this new initiative, as well as insights from a panel of reproductive health experts from academia, public health, public policy and private practice(i).

"One of the most important decisions in a woman's life is if, or when, to have a child – or for some, another child," said Linda Dominguez, nurse practitioner with Southwest Women's Health in Albuquerque, N.M., and chair of the board of directors for the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. "We know that the contraception conversation is taking place at the well-woman visit but if we're not reducing the rate of unintended pregnancy maybe we should reconsider how we're framing it. When we ask women to think about how confident they are with their current birth control method, their risk for pregnancy may take on a different meaning and we may begin to discuss different contraceptive options."

The Contraception in America: A National Landmark Survey of Women of Reproductive Age and Physicians Treating Women panel of experts believe that by starting the contraception conversation from the point of "What are your plans for having children" and "Could you be underestimating your risk for pregnancy," women may be more receptive to reconsidering their contraceptive options and focusing on family planning with both a short- and a long-term vision. The What Will You Do? Campaign plans to include a comprehensive patient-friendly Birth Control Guidebook and an educational website, www.whatwillyoudocampaign.com.  

Contraception in America: A National Landmark Survey of Women of Reproductive Age and Physicians Treating Women, found that(i):

• Even when restricting the sample to women who are sexually active and not trying to get pregnant, the majority of women perceived themselves to be at low or no risk of pregnancy.
• Despite widespread availability of contraceptive products, accidental pregnancies are common. Nearly half of women aged 18-49 who have ever had a pregnancy (43 percent) reported that they have had one or more accidental or unintended pregnancies.
• Among the women who have used any method of birth control in the past 30 days, nearly three in 10 women reported that they are using birth control pills (30 percent), 16 percent report using a male condom, 15 percent report using an intrauterine contraceptive (IUC) and 10 percent reported using male sterilization.
• Among the women who are currently using a birth control method, one in 10 women reported a birth control failure in the past year. The birth control failure rate was highest among 18-24 year olds (31 percent).
• Nearly half of all women who had experienced an accidental or unintended pregnancy (45 percent) reported that at least one of these pregnancies was caused by a birth control failure, such as a condom breaking or missing a birth control pill.

The survey also queried 100 OB/GYNs and 101 primary care physicians in order to assess their perceptions on the current state of contraception and the factors that motivate women and their physicians to select specific contraceptive methods. The survey revealed that both women and physicians are engaging in discussions around contraception, particularly following a change in a woman's life situation, after giving birth and as part of a general exam(i).

Additionally, the survey of physicians found(i):

• The majority of physicians, both OB/GYNs and family practitioners agreed that they would recommend IUCs for women who want a convenient method, for women with multiple children and for women with a history of accidental pregnancy.
• The majority OB/GYNs agreed that both the pill and the IUC were equally good choices for women who wish to postpone their next birth.
• Both family practitioners and OB/GYNs were also more likely to recommend sterilization (47 percent and 39 percent, respectively) over IUCs (26 percent and 20 percent, respectively) for women who no longer want to have children.
• When asked which contraceptive methods they have seen the greatest increase in demand, physicians who reported seeing an increase in the past five years most often perceived the IUC as one of the methods with the greatest increase.

Results from Contraception in America: A National Landmark Survey of Women of Reproductive Age and Physicians Treating Women and an announcement of the What Will You Do? Campaign will be communicated to healthcare professionals through educational symposia and via a professional website which can be found at www.contraceptioninamerica.com. Women and their partners are invited to download materials and learn more at www.whatwillyoudocampaign.com.  

About Teva Women's Health, Inc.

Teva Women's Health, Inc., is the U.S.-based a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, headquartered in Israel. The company produces a wide range of women's healthcare products including oral contraceptives, intrauterine contraception, and hormone therapy treatments for menopause/perimenopause. Teva is among the top 15 pharmaceutical companies in the world and is the leading generic pharmaceutical company. The company develops, manufactures and markets generic and innovative human pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Over 80 percent of Teva's sales are in North America and Europe.

(i) Contraception in America: A National Landmark Survey of Women of Reproductive Age and Physicians Treating Women. 2012.

(ii) Finer LB, Henshaw SK. "Disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy in the United States, 1994 and 2001." Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY, USA.

120968

SOURCE Teva Women's Health, Inc.