Contraception in Polish. How do women protect themselves most often? At all

Sexologists have been saying for years that the knowledge of Polish women about contraception leaves much to be desired. No wonder then that in terms of the availability of contraception and its use, we are also far behind other European countries. What are the most common methods of pregnancy prevention?

Contraception in Poland

According to a study conducted by the SW Research agency as part of the “Healthy ONA” program, more than half of Polish women do not use contraception at all. There may be several reasons for this. Some women during the study period could not undertake sexual activity, for others the financial situation was probably the decisive factor. This situation could also be due to insufficient knowledge about the menstrual cycle, fertility, and the risks associated with the lack of protection. As Izabela Jąderek, a psychologist, sexologist, psychotherapist and expert of the “Healthy SHE” program, points out, some women may feel embarrassed by talking to a partner or doctor about contraception.

What methods do women who use contraception prefer? Most Polish women use hormonal contraception (approximately 16%) and natural methods (approximately 15%). While the former is the most effective, the latter is quite the opposite.

The effectiveness of contraceptive methods

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that one- and two-component contraceptive pills are among the most effective methods of contraception. Below is a list of modern and traditional methods of contraception along with their effectiveness according to WHO.

1. single-component contraceptive pills: 99 percent when used correctly (90-97 percent when used normally);
2. combined contraceptive pills:> 99% (92%);
3. contraceptive implants:> 99%;
4. contraceptive injection (progesterone):> 99% (97%);
5. contraceptive injection (progesterone and estrogen):> 99% (97%);
6. copper IUD:> 99%;
7. levonorgestrel intrauterine device:> 99%;
8. combined contraceptive patches or vaginal ring – although there is no precise data on their effectiveness yet, as these are new methods, it is expected that they may be more effective than combined contraceptive pills;
9. male condoms: 98 percent (85%);
10. female condoms: 90 percent (79%);
11. vasectomy:> 99%;
12. tubal ligation:> 99%;
13. lactational amenorrhea method (LAM): 99 percent (98%);
14. emergency contraception: 99%;
15. Standard Day Method (SDM): 95% (88%);
16. Basal Body Temperature (BBT) method: 99% (75%);
17. symptothermal method: 98%;
18. calendar method: 91% (75%);
19. intermittent ratio: 96 percent (73 percent).

Availability of contraception in Poland

The «Contraception Atlas 2019» report indicates that Poland is in the last place in Europe in terms of the availability of contraception. This result is even worse than last year, when we were third from the bottom. Such a low score was mainly due to the lack of reimbursement of contraceptives or the introduction of prescriptions for the “after” pill. The analysis also looked at whether there are governmental or state-supported sites in the country to provide information on contraceptive methods, and whether sex education is provided in schools.

Read more on «Contraception Atlas 2019»: Poland at the top of the infamous ranking. We are the worst in Europe

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