Birth control trend means pill becoming less popular

IRISH women are shunning the pill, opting for long-acting methods of birth control, according to figures from the Dublin Well Woman Centre.

Last year, the number of women in the centre opting for long-acting, reversible contraception, or LARCs, rose 28% on the previous year (914 in 2012 compared to 716 in 2011). The trend for intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants occurred across their three Dublin clinics.

The shift is due to two factors, says Dublin Well Woman Centre medical director, Dr Shirley McQuade. LARCs don’t have to be taken daily, and thereby reduce the rate of failure of the pill. While there’s a bigger up-front cost, long-term they’re cheaper than oral contraception.