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Hormones?
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Young women in Germany are apparently increasingly refraining from hormonal contraception.
According to an analysis by Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), a third (33 percent) of female 14 to 19-year-old insured persons had birth control pills prescribed in 2020.
This is reported by the Funke media group, referring to the TK data.
Two years earlier, 48 percent of women insured with TK were still prescribed the pill.
In 2018, however, the age group was defined differently: the data related to 16 to 19 year olds.
According to the latest information, the decline is particularly strong among 18- and 19-year-olds - i.e. in the age groups who take the pill most frequently: In 2015, 67 percent of 18-year-old women insured with TK were prescribed at least one pill In 2020 only 50 percent.
According to the report, there was a similar development among 19-year-olds: the proportion of prescriptions fell from 72 percent to 53 percent.
“We can only speculate about the exact reasons.
In any case, the attention for the topic is higher than it was a few years ago, "said the head of the pharmaceuticals department at TK, Tim Steimle, the newspapers.
The decline may also be related to the reporting on pills of the so-called newer generation, which overall have a higher risk of thrombosis.
There has been a trend towards birth control pills for a number of years.
While the drug was still considered revolutionary in the 1970s and allowed women more self-determination in their sex life, many women are now resorting to other methods of contraception.
In addition to the risk of thrombosis, other side effects such as loss of libido, depressive moods or changes in weight are likely to be responsible for this.
However, the alternatives to the pill are still rather rare, especially if the woman wants to do without hormones entirely.
Men will only be able to use condoms in 2021.
Various research approaches, such as hormone injections or contraceptive gels, have so far failed.
According to the report, TK evaluated routine data from insured persons up to 19 years of age, or from 2019 to 21 years of age.
The reason for this is that the statutory health insurances have been covering the costs of prescription contraceptives since the spring of 2019 up to the age of 22.
kry / AFP