Internet availability of contraceptives

Objective: To measure the accessibility of contraceptive supplies over the Internet. Methods: We performed an Internet search with the use of search engines and key words. We posed as consumers purchasing both prescription and over-the -counter contraceptive supplies. The number of clicks or web pages accessed , costs, shipping time, barriers to access, and prescription requirements w ere compared for selected birth control supplies. Results: More than 200 web sites were visited to locate at least one site w here we could purchase each selected product. Contraceptive supplies, inclu ding male and female condoms, spermicides, vaginal sponges, intrauterine de vices (IUDs), diaphragms, and cervical caps, were easily obtained without a prescription from foreign web sites. Oral contraceptive pills (OCs) were r eadily available online in November 1999; some sites had discontinued sales by February 2000, but OCs could still be purchased with no prescription in August 2000. None of the four prescription sites supplied physician or pre scriber credentials. The contraceptive costs varied by vendor and product. A type of copper IUD could be purchased for less than $50.00, whereas a sin gle package of emergency contraceptive pills cost $141.00 from one vendor b ecause of prescription and shipping fees. Some emergency contraceptive pill s ordered arrived after 72 hours or did not arrive and the purchase was not refunded. A levonorgestrel IUD was shipped without difficulty in December 1999, but a second device, ordered in February 2000, was temporarily impoun ded by United States Customs. Conclusion: This method of contraceptive purchase is accessible, expensive, erratically regulated, and rapidly changing. (C) 2001 by The American Coll ege of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.