Most young men don't know about emergency contraception. Is that ok?

About 40 percent of adolescent boys and young men know about emergency contraception, aka the "morning after pill" or Plan B according to a Journal of Adolescent Health study. Women who take the pill within a few days of unprotected sex or a condom break can avoid an unwanted pregnancy because emergency contraception prevents ovulation.So how should we think about the 40 percent number?The authors are pleased that the number is as high as it is, and take it as proof that educational campaigns are working. They'd also like to see the number go higher so that boys and men take responsibility for contraceptive planning. In an ideal world that's undoubtedly true, but I wonder whether it would be better if men were less aware of emergency contraception rather than more.After all, the possibility of pregnancy is not the only reason to avoid unprotected sex. Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases is right up there as well. If boys and men know that emergency contraception is an option, they may be less careful about protection and more likely to pressure their partners into having unprotected sex in the first place.I'm not actually advocating for purposefully keeping people in the dark, but I'd focus the awareness message heavily on girls and women.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.