A study conducted in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region indicates the wide use of a pill, popularly known as ‘N’ tablet, as a form of emergency contraception among women in the metropolis.
The pill, Primolut ‘N’ (Noresthisterone), a progestagin, was originally used to control abnormal vaginal bleeding and induce withdrawal of bleeding from women whose menses cease for a period of six months (Secondary Amenorrhea).
The results of the study was presented by Dr Baafuor Opoku, a Specialist Obstetrician and Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), at the ongoing International Conference on family Planning: Research and best Practices in Kampala, Uganda.
The conference which has the theme: ‘Family Planning, health Wealth,’ was organised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Helath at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Makerere University School of Public Health, Uganda.
Dr Opoku said the study, titled ‘Contraceptive Use among at-risk Women in Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana,’ revealed that the ‘N’ tablet was sold over the counter and used in various dosages as a form of emergency contraception.
The study looked at the prevalence of contraceptive use among women considered to be at risk between ages 18 t0 35.
These included commercial sex workers and other vulnerable women such as apprentice seamstresses and hairdressers, students in hostels and female porters (Kayayee) who exchange sex for money.
In all 1070 women participated in the study which showed that the women take one tablet just before sexual intercourse or soon after. Dr Opoku indicated that the drug has so far not been found to have any adverse effect on the users.
It is actually progestrone, which is also naturally produced by the human body “so probably the only the only effect it may have on the users is to alter their menstrual cycle”, he said and added that there was the need for further studies to look at other parameters such as how often the users took the drug and whether it had long-term effects.
Further studies also need to be conducted to find out if the drugs work as an emergency contraception or not. The study also showed that while awareness of methods of contraception was high (96.4 per cent), usage was low. The male condom was the commonest form of contraception while none of the respondents had used the female condom before.
Dr Opoku recommended that social marketing groups involved in the promotion and distribution of contraceptives in the country step up their activities among women who are at greater risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infectious and unintended pregnancies.
