OBJECTIVES:

Evaluate the characteristics of oral contraceptives dispensing before and during the confinement measures in Colombia due the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

: A comparative cross-sectional study that included women with contraceptive dispensing from three social security institutions with standardized population by calculating the proportion of women in each institution. A descriptive analysis was developed between January and June 2020 by number of patients, cities and contraceptives dispensed to obtain a percentage of the variation of dispensations before (before March 24, 2020) and during the confinement measures (between March 24, 2020 and June 30, 2020). With the unplanned pregnancy probability obtained from the Gutmacher Institute study, the number of women at risk to be pregnant was calculated. Finally, to compare the dispensation changes, analyze oral contraceptives dispensation versus antihypertensive drugs dispensation (antihypertensive drugs have a mandatory dispensation in Colombia during COVID 19 pandemic).

RESULTS

: A net decrease of 403.311 units of oral contraceptives dispensation was observed and is the equivalent of a decrease of 53.3% in the dispensation between January and June of 2020, therefore, 11.382 women had a risk of an unplanned pregnancy, with the results located mainly in major cities.In the comparison in contraceptives versus antihypertensive drugs dispensation before and during the confinement measures, it is found that the difference in the contraceptives dispensing was -16.7 per 1.000 women and the antihypertensive drugs dispensing was -1.9 per 1.000 women (analysis with a statistically significant difference of p> 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

: There is a significant decrease in the oral contraceptives dispensing during the confinement measures in Colombia compared to other types of drugs (antihypertensive drugs), which will generate relevant social, economic, and public health effects in the country.