Table 4 Characteristics of users of peri- or post-coital pills

Age

13 papers reported on age characteristics [11, 12, 26,27,28,29,30,31,32, 36, 38, 43, 44]:

- Two papers reported likely use / adoption of a pericoital pill among women aged 18–49 years [11, 12] and one among women aged 18–34 years [27]

- Ten papers reported repeat use of ECPs for pregnancy prevention among ‘young people’ [31], students [29, 32], and women in their 20 s [26] or aged 15–25 years [44], 16–24 years [38], 18–24 years [36], 20–24 years [30] or 18–34 years [28, 43]

- One paper reported greater likelihood of repeat use of ECPs among a subset of women aged 35‒49 years than women aged 18‒34 [28]

Education

Seven papers reported on education characteristics [12, 27, 28, 30, 31, 38, 43]:

- Four papers reported ECP-users as more likely than non-users to have attained higher levels of education [28, 30, 38, 43]

- One paper reported women with secondary or post-secondary education were more likely than women with primary education or less to endorse a pericoital pill [27]

- Two papers indicated no significant variation by education between adopters and non-adopters of a pericoital pill [12] or ECPs [31]

Frequency of sex

11 papers reported on frequency of sex [10,11,12, 26,27,28,29,30,31, 36, 39, 42]:

- Nine papers reported use of peri- and postcoital pills among people having infrequent, occasional, or irregular sex [10,11,12, 26, 27, 29,30,31, 39]

- One paper reported greater likelihood of repeat use of ECPs among women who had sex more frequently (2–3 times a week) as compared to those having sex less frequently (once per week, < once per week) [28]

- One paper indicated frequency of sex had no impact on ECP use [30]

Wealth / employment

Five papers reported on socio-economic status [26, 28, 30, 38, 43]:

- Three papers reported that ECP users were employed [30], had their own income [43], or had a higher relative income [30, 38]

- One paper reported repeat ECP use among lower income women [28]

- One paper indicated socio-economic background had no impact on ECP use [26]

Relationship status

11 papers reported on relationship status [11, 12, 26,27,28, 30, 31, 36, 38, 43, 44]:

- Use of ECPs among women who were unmarried / never married [26, 30, 31, 36, 38] or single [28], and women who were married [28] or with a ‘steady’, ‘committed’ or ‘serious’ partner [43, 44]

- One paper reported no significant variations between adopters and non-adopters of a pericoital pill by marital status [12]

- One paper reported women who were separated, divorced or widowed as less likely than single women to sanction a pericoital pill [27]

- One paper reported use of a pericoital pill among women with a ‘committed’ or ‘serious’ partner [11]

Previous use of contraceptives

Eight papers reported on previous use of contraceptives [11, 12, 27, 28, 35, 38, 43]:

- Women who had previously discontinued using modern contraceptives / never used a modern method were willing to use a pericoital pill as a primary method [11, 12]

- Women who had ever used ECPs or short-acting contraceptives [27], or any modern method [12], were more likely to use a pericoital pill [27]

- Women who had used modern contraceptives were less likely to have used ECPs multiple times [28, 35, 38]

- Women with previous abortion experience had used ECPs repeatedly [43]