Contraception Awareness Week 2009: “Finding the Perfect Partner”

Did you know that Contraceptive Awareness Week 2009 has just ended? Contraceptive Awareness Week is a national campaign week started in 1997 and run by the UK’s Family Planning Association (FPA), a national organization supporting the sexual health of young people. The purpose of Contraception Awareness Week is to raise awareness about the different methods of contraception and issues affecting contraceptive choice.

For Contraception Awareness Week 2009, the focus was on Finding the Perfect Partner: Choose What You Use. This year’s theme focused on finding a contraceptive method that fits in with you and your lifestyle. According to FPA, selecting the right birth control method is “good not just for stopping you (or your partner) from becoming pregnant, but for general confidence, sexual pleasure (because you are not worrying about pregnancy), and peace of mind.”

In honor of Contraception Awareness Week, the FPA just released the results of a national survey which reveals what women really think about contraception and how they use it. According to the survey:

Almost 1 in 3 UK women aged 18–49 typically spends up to just 5 minutes selecting a suitable contraceptive method to use. Yet, almost half of these women (47%) have had a pregnancy scare (thinking they were or could be pregnant when they didn’t want to be).

• Important Questions To Consider When Choosing a Method of Birth Control
• Before You Choose A Birth Control Method
• Why Use Contraception?

_{Source: FPA. (2009). Finding the Perfect Partner Survey Results.}

_{Photo Courtesy of B. Fisher}