In a prospective study of 410 women in an urban area of Senegal, such tests indicated possible contraindications for pill use in only 20 women, nine of whom returned for a second test. Of those nine, only one had a confirmed contraindication. The study led to a new national policy to eliminate the tests. Because of the expense, the tests have the potential for keeping thousands of women in urban areas from using the pill. When unnecessary regulations limit access to contraceptive methods for some users, women in particular may suffer.
Unwanted pregnancies can result in maternal mortalities and chronic maternal morbidities.
Other problems include the issues of stress and time lost from work because of poor health that may be linked to lack of access to good quality family planning services. Providing adequate access to contraception can also reduce health-care costs for unwanted pregnancies. A recent study in the United States compared the costs of 15 different contraceptive methods to the health costs of not using any contraception. Based on U.S. data, including insurance costs for the health care associated with unwanted pregnancies, it found that all 15 methods were less costly when compared with using no method. While the study applies to the health-care system used in United States, it has implications for all countries.