Emergency postcoital contraception
- PMID: 12291629
Emergency postcoital contraception
Abstract
PIP: Both birth control technology and its use are imperfect. As such, approximately 60% of all pregnancies in the US are unplanned and unintended, with almost 45% of all live births being the result of unintended pregnancy. More than 50% of unintended pregnancies and 33% of all pregnancies in the US end in abortion. That emergency postcoital contraception (EPC) is used only rarely in the US is one reason why unintended pregnancy rates are higher in that country relative to other developed countries. EPC is a method for managing unprotected coital exposure by the pharmacologic or mechanical inhibition of fertilization or implantation. Knowledge and easy access to EPC could prevent an estimated 2.3 million unintended pregnancies per year in the US and reduce the number of abortions by 800,000 annually. The author stresses the moral and professional responsibility which family planning providers have to provide their clients with postcoital contraception.
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