Image-conscious teens in Italy are opting for the morning-after pill instead of taking regular contraceptive medication because they are worried about getting fat, Italian gynaecologists warned on Friday.
Speaking at the European Contraception Congress in Prague, Rossella Nappa of Pavia University said the consumption of the morning-after pill has risen by 60% since it was first introduced in Italy in 2000.
Teenagers are a growing market for the powerful emergency contraception method, which can significantly reduce the chance of pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
In 2006 over half of the 320,000 pills sold were to girls under the age of 20, according to Nappa.
Side-effects of the morning-after pill include nausea, dizziness and abdominal pain.
''Girls often underestimate the impact of the pill, which is a real hormonal shock,'' she added.
Nappa said that myths surrounding the normal, low-dosage contraceptive pill, which is taken on a daily basis as part of a controlled programme, is holding teenagers back from using safer methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
''The fear of getting fat is one of the things that discourages young people from using the contraceptive pill and leads them to try other, less reliable methods,'' she explained.
''But today thanks to the fourth generation drugs, the risk of putting the pounds on is completely groundless. We have to spend time trying to get positive messages across to women''.
ITALY AMONG WORST IN EUROPE FOR CONTRACEPTION.
According to the Italian Contraception Society (ICS), which also presented research at Friday's congress, more than half of sexually active Italians choose not to use contraception at all.
Around 55% use neither condom nor contraceptive pill, while a further 9% use them incorrectly, giving Italy one of the worst records in the European Union.
''The problem is a lack of education and information in schools,'' said ICS president Emilio Arisi.
Despite their poor contraception record, Italians have a ''more gradual'' relationship with sex compared to other European countries, according to Arisi.
Italians start having sex at the average age of 19.2, while the average number of sexual partners is 8.3 for men and 6.4 for women.
MORNING-AFTER PILL CONTROVERSY.
The morning-after pill has remained controversial since its introduction in Italy seven years ago and is regarded as a form of early abortion by the Catholic Church and the pro-life movement.
In April two women were reported to have been denied the emergency contraception by pro-life doctors in the Tuscan city of Pisa.
Although the morning-after pill is available over the counter in a number of European countries, including France, Britain and Portugal, it still requires a prescription in Italy.
Studies have found that if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, the morning after pill can reduce the chances of pregnancy by 85-95%.
