Birth Control Options for Women - Emergency Contraception

Highlights	Injected Contraception	Emergency Contraception
Introduction	Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)	Female Sterilization
Oral Contraception	Spermicidal and Barrier Contraception	Resources
Implant Contraception	Natural Family Planning Methods	References

Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception is available to prevent pregnancy:

After sexual assault.
After consensual intercourse in which contraception is not used.
When contraception is used but fails (for instance, when a condom breaks or a diaphragm dislodges).

text continues below

Basics of Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception uses hormonal or IUD approaches to prevent either fertilization or the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterine lining. This is not the same thing as the "abortion pill" [See Mifepristone, below ]. Emergency contraception is available from private health care providers, Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics, and community and student health centers. Emergency contraception is available at hospital emergency departments, except when the hospital is affiliated with a religion that opposes birth control.

Experts argue that it should be more readily available to women, particularly in light of a study that found no increased usage of emergency contraception when women had easy access to it. A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that among women ages 15 to 24 years, direct access to emergency contraception did not increase risk-taking behavior. Women in the study were given direct access to emergency contraception either through a pharmacy or having the pills on hand in advance. They did not have increased rates of unprotected intercourse or sexually transmitted infections compared to controls.

Non-prescription access to emergency contraception has been tied up in a political battle. In 2003, the manufacturer of the levonorgestrel emergency oral contraceptive Plan B filed an application for the drug to be sold over-the-counter (OTC). Later that year, an FDA advisory committee found the product safe and effective, and overwhelmingly recommended approval. However, in 2004 the FDA delayed granting OTC status, citing safety concerns regarding adolescent use. This action was strongly condemned by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Planned Parenthood, and other medical organizations.

In January 2005, the FDA again delayed a decision. Opponents contend that the FDA is being influenced by political, not scientific, considerations. At the time of this report, no final federal decision regarding non-prescription availability had been made. Plan B is available without a doctor?s prescription in some American states. Several states have approved legislation that gives pharmacists permission to write a prescription for Plan B. The drug is available without a prescription in other countries, including Canada.