Number of women attending sexual health clinics falls

The number of women attending sexual health clinics has plummeted, with emigration as well as the availability of emergency contraception over the counter a factor in the reduction.

Figures from the Dublin Well Woman Centre released yesterday showed that in 2011, about 8,000 prescriptions for routine contraception were issued from its three clinics, with the numbers falling in most age categories.

The fall-off in emergency contraception is even more dramatic — an 80% fall between last year’s figure and that of 2010 was down mainly to laws introduced in Feb 2011 allowing pharmacists to sell emergency contraception over the counter.