Men are to be offered free supplies of the morning-after pill to give to their partners in a bid to encourage them to take greater responsibility for contraception.
Doctors argue that t8 led fluorescent tube if women can carry condoms in their handbags, men can keep stocks of the morning-after pill. They say family planning services are often targeted at women, dissuading men from taking an interest in contraception and sexual health.
A pilot scheme has been set up to focus equally on both sexes, and men and women will be encouraged to seek appointments to discuss contraception and sexual health when they are beginning a new relationship. The scheme, called the Choices Project, is run by Maryhill Health Centre in Glasgow, which also has a surgery at Glasgow University's Murano Street student village.
Dr Des Spence, one of the GPs leading the project, said: "The idea is that we should encourage men to play an equal part in contraception. Men are often seen as not wanting to take responsibility and that is not always very fair.
"We have encouraged women to carry condoms, so we should encourage men to carry the morning-after pill.
"What we offer is a relationship consultation that patients can access at any time, but it is specifically focused on patients who are entering a new relationship. We focus equally on men and women, unlike other services in the past, and we have a good uptake of men."
Since December 2000, the morning-after pill has been sold over the counter by chemists for (pounds) 20. Some experts have called for the emergency contraception to be distributed free by school nurses, but this suggestion has been bitterly opposed by religious and family groups.
Emergency contraception is most effective in the first 12 hours. It is reasonably effective in the first 24 hours but, as time goes on, efficiency drops. This is why family planning experts believe supplies should be readily available to women.
The plan to give men packets of the morning-after pill has been welcomed by Professor Graham Hart, head of the sexual and reproductive health programme at the Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at Glasgow University. "A trial of this approach, providing men with condoms and emergency contraception, is a good idea," he said. "It is important that trials are done as we need to know whether this would be a good use of resources.
"If these men are going to keep the pills or throw them away instead of passing them on to their partners, that is something we need to know. But if it works well in a proportion of cases, that would be helpful. The idea should be trialled. We need research to determine its efficacy.
"Generally, I think more needs to be done to get heterosexual men to think more about their own sexual health and reproductive health. Men are not generally interested in their own sexual health, but that is not necessarily their fault. This non waterproof flexible led strips has always been considered to be a female issue. Doctors tend to talk to women. There has never been much encouragement for men to take control of their own health, and this project is doing something innovative."
But Alastair Pringle, co-ordinator of the Men's Health Team at NHS Greater Glasgow, doubts whether most men would be prepared to keep supplies of the morning-after pill at home. He is also concerned that the morning-after pill could be seen as an alternative to condoms and lead to the spreading of sexually
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