Emergency contraception

Emergency contraception can be used following many different situations of unprotected intercourse including rape, unplanned acts of intercourse, or when a birth control method fails. For instance, emergency contraception can help to prevent pregnancy after a condom breaks, a diaphragm slips out of place, or birth control pills are forgotten.

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Emergency contraception is available by prescription only. An IUD requires an office visit, but a telephone call to the health care provider's office is usually all a woman needs to do in order to start emergency contraception medication.

Some health care providers will provide their patients with a prescription for an emergency contraception drug to keep at home, in case it is needed in the future.

A toll-free hotline (1-888-NOT-2-LATE) is available to get more information about emergency contraception. Operators at this number may also be able to provide contact information for physicians in local areas who prescribe emergency contraception.

The first dose of emergency contraception medications can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. The second dose is taken 12 hours after the first. These drugs are most effective when taken as soon as possible after intercourse.

EFFECTIVENESS:

Oral emergency contraception medications prevent about 75-89% of pregnancies that occur after unprotected sexual intercourse, and they work best if taken as soon as possible after intercourse. Emergency contraception by IUD insertion is even more effective.

Not every woman who has unprotected intercourse will get pregnant. The risk of pregnancy depends on many factors, especially the time in the menstrual cycle that intercourse occurs. For instance, if 100 women have unprotected intercourse once in the middle 2 weeks of their menstrual cycles, about 8 will become pregnant. If they all use emergency contraception within 72 hours of intercourse, only 1 to 2 will become pregnant.

RISKS:

Mild and often unpleasant side effects from emergency contraception medications are common, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, and changes in menstrual bleeding. Nausea and vomiting are the most troublesome side effects -- nausea occurs about 50% of the time and vomiting about 20% of the time after emergency contraceptive pills are taken.

Some doctors recommend taking an anti-emetic medication (a drug to prevent nausea and vomiting) before taking the emergency contraception pills to prevent these side effects. Progesterone-only emergency contraceptives cause less nausea and vomiting than methods that contain both progesterone and estrogen-like medications.