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Increased body mass index and reduced efficacy of oral emergency contraception: how many women might be affected?
  1. Sarah C Woodhall, PhD
  1. Principal Scientist, National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), London, UK; sarah.woodhall@phe.gov.uk
  1. Catherine M Lowndes, PhD
  1. Consultant Epidemiologist, National Infection Service, PHE, London, UK; cmlowndes@googlemail.com
  1. Rachel Craig, BA
  1. Group Head, NatCen Social Research, London, UK; rachel.craig@natcen.ac.uk
  1. Jennifer S Mindell, PhD
  1. Reader in Public Health, Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL, London, UK; j.mindell@ucl.ac.uk
  1. Dame Jane Anderson, PhD, FRCP
  1. Consultant Physician and Advisor, Health and Wellbeing Directorate, PHE, London, UK; jane.anderson@phe.gov.uk
  1. Kate A Guthrie, FRCOG, FFSRH
  1. Clinical Expert, Sexual & Reproductive Health, Health and Wellbeing Directorate, PHE, London, UK; kate.guthrie@phe.gov.uk
  1. Dame Anne M Johnson, MD, FMedSci, FRCP, FFPH, FRCGP
  1. Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Research Department of Infection and Population Health, UCL, London, UK; anne.johnson@ucl.ac.uk
  1. Anthony Nardone, PhD
  1. Consultant scientist, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, UK
  2. Health and Wellbeing Directorate, Public Health England, London, UK; anthony.nardone@phe.gov.uk
  1. *Corresponding author

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Oral emergency contraception (EC) is available as levonorgestrel and ulipristal acetate. In England, EC is available through a variety of settings and can be obtained without a prescription. In 2014, evidence from clinical studies prompted a review of available evidence by the European Medicine Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use to assess whether increased bodyweight reduces the efficacy of EC. The review concluded that the available data were inconclusive.1 ,2 However, if future research were to substantiate a relationship of reduced EC efficacy in women with higher bodyweight, it would be …

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests Kate Guthrie has previously advised and given lectures for the manufacturer of ellaOne® (HRA Pharma).

  • Authors’ note These findings were presented as a poster presentation at the 2015 Lancet Public Health Science Conference.6