Providers' Attitudes Towards EC

Another barrier for women’s access to EC could be the attitudes and opinions of healthcare providers. Forty-seven percent of providers strongly agree that the benefits of EC outweigh the risks, while 44% agree with the statement (Wallace, 2004). These beliefs can influence how healthcare providers prescribe and inform patients about EC. A small number of physicians would not prescribe EC because of religious/ethical beliefs (Wallace). These physicians’ beliefs eliminate the possibilities of women receiving EC from these providers. The predominant reasons why providers don’t prescribe EC are lack of request, believing that women misreport hours since last sexual encounter, experience with the method, and moral objection to EC (Gold, Schein, & Coupey, 1997). The way healthcare providers understand and perceive EC can have an immense impact on how they inform patients about EC and how they choose to prescribe EC. This can limit women’s rights to make informed decisions about their health. It is essential to study what healthcare providers attitudes are, since such attitudes affect the accessibility of EC.

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