Many Chinese women have limited knowledge of contraception methods, according to the results of a survey released in Shanghai yesterday.

About 42 percent of women with unplanned pregnancies had unprotected sex and most respondents still have a poor understanding of oral contraceptive pills. The survey, carried out by the Nanjing Organon Pharmaceutical Co and Sina.com, covered 4,281 Netizens mostly aged between 20 and 30 from all over the nation, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

More than 64 percent of women consider the condom as the best contraceptive method. Only 7.7 percent take regular oral contraceptive pills, which are used by 30 percent to 40 percent of Western women.

However, more than 40 percent of surveyed women said they take a morning-after pill at least once a year. About 13 percent of this group takes morning-after pills more than three times a year.

The survey found that 19 percent of respondents don't know the difference between a regular pill and a morning-after pill.

"Over 63 percent of women expressed worries about contraceptive pills' side effects because of the estrogen," said Feng Yuzeng, a doctor from Shanghai No. 1 People's Hospital's gynecology department.

"It is a misunderstanding. Present contraceptive pills have a very low estrogen content and won't hamper people's health if taken properly.

"In addition to birth control, the pills have other positive effects, like regulating periods and controlling ovarian cancer and endometrium cancer.

"Doctors always suggest that women take pills with the lowest estrogen content, particularly for the young."

(Shanghai Daily October 26, 2007)