TY - JOUR
T1 - Choosing plan b over plan a
T2 - Risk compensation theory and contraceptive choice in india
AU - Shukla, Pallavi
AU - Pullabhotla, Hemant Kumar
AU - Arends-Kuenning, Mary
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors.
PY - 2021/2/1
Y1 - 2021/2/1
N2 - Can women’s contraceptive method choice be better understood through risk compensation theory? This theory implies that people act with greater care when the perceived risk of an activity is higher and with less care when it is lower. We examine how increased over-the-counter access to emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) accompanied by marketing campaigns in India affected women’s contraceptive method choices and incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Although ECPs substantially reduce the risk of pregnancy, they are less effective than other contraceptive methods and do not reduce the risk of STIs. We test whether an exogenous policy change that increased access to ECPs leads people to substitute away from other methods of contraception, such as condoms, thereby increasing the risk of both unintended pregnancy and STIs. We find evidence for risk compensation in terms of reduced use of condoms but not for increases in rates of STIs.
AB - Can women’s contraceptive method choice be better understood through risk compensation theory? This theory implies that people act with greater care when the perceived risk of an activity is higher and with less care when it is lower. We examine how increased over-the-counter access to emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) accompanied by marketing campaigns in India affected women’s contraceptive method choices and incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Although ECPs substantially reduce the risk of pregnancy, they are less effective than other contraceptive methods and do not reduce the risk of STIs. We test whether an exogenous policy change that increased access to ECPs leads people to substitute away from other methods of contraception, such as condoms, thereby increasing the risk of both unintended pregnancy and STIs. We find evidence for risk compensation in terms of reduced use of condoms but not for increases in rates of STIs.
KW - Contraception
KW - Emergency contraceptive pills
KW - Risk compensation theory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85104215105&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1215/00703370-8932007
DO - 10.1215/00703370-8932007
M3 - Article
C2 - 33834245
AN - SCOPUS:85104215105
SN - 0070-3370
VL - 58
SP - 273
EP - 294
JO - Demography
JF - Demography
IS - 1
ER -