Consumer's experiences with emergency contraception in Aotearoa New Zealand: a qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION Effective emergency contraception (EC) must be available to prevent unintended pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse. In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), approved EC options include an oral levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pill and the copper IUD. There is currently no published qualitative research about EC in NZ. AIM This study aimed to explore consumers' experiences with EC in NZ. METHOD Participants were recruited through an advertisement on Sexual Wellbeing social media platforms in November 2024. Eligibility criteria included being between 16 and 55 years of age and having used EC previously. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to find out about participants' experiences using EC in NZ. Transcripts were analysed using descriptive thematic analysis. RESULTS Eleven participants were interviewed. The consumer experiences built on the deductive themes: knowledge of EC, experience with EC, acceptability, accessibility, availability, and affordability. Inductive subthemes were identified, including lack of education, privacy, judgement, delays in access, and the expense. Participants felt either fully or partially informed by healthcare providers in terms of side effects. DISCUSSION Our findings show that despite EC being available, consumers faced challenges specifically related to accessibility, acceptability, and affordability. Education around EC is lacking, both in the context of consumers and health professionals alike. Thus, our findings demonstrate a need for better sexual health education and better EC training for health professionals. They show clearly that an attitude shift is needed by both healthcare providers and society to improve EC for consumers.