SAFETY OF THIRD GENERATION CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS

Early day motion 578, tabled 21 April 1999 by Baroness Tonge (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 28 members.

That this House welcomes the recent decision by the Committee on Safety of Medicines to restore the third generation contraceptive pills to a first line therapy option; regrets the confusion caused by the 1995 judgement which affected 1.5 million women and reversed the falling trend in abortions and unwanted pregnancies; recognises that the risk of venous thromboembolism associated with the use of all contraceptive pills is extremely small and less than half that seen in pregnancy; urges the Government to make a statement on the measures they will take to inform health professionals and the public that for the vast majority of women the Pill remains a very safe and effective option to counter teenage pregnancy; further notes that the United Kingdom teenage pregnancy rate is the highest in the European union; and calls upon the Government to take action to reverse this trend.

Signatures by party: Labour 21, Liberal Democrat 4, Conservative 2, Labour/Co-operative 1.