Emergency Contraception : The State of the Art

Emergency contraception, otherwise known as post-coital contraception, is part of the continuum of contraceptive methods that women and couples can use for pregnancy prevention. Although emergency contraception should not be used as a regular, plan-ahead contraceptive method, it gives a woman one la...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: von Hertzen, H., Godfrey, E. M.
Language:EN
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10986/5139
Description
Summary:Emergency contraception, otherwise known as post-coital contraception, is part of the continuum of contraceptive methods that women and couples can use for pregnancy prevention. Although emergency contraception should not be used as a regular, plan-ahead contraceptive method, it gives a woman one last-ditch effort to prevent unwanted pregnancy. This paper reviews the history of emergency contraception, the need for further studies, and results of studies conducted at the World Health Organization. Various methods used for emergency contraception are discussed, as well as their efficacies and side effects.