Loading...
Emergency contraception (EC) most commonly consists of hormone pills taken orally after unprotected intercourse (see Table 1). Progestin-only pills are more effective than progestin-estrogen pills. Although the Plan B package labeling specifies that the first pill should be taken within 72 hours, this method can be effective up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse; furthermore, both pills can be taken at the same time.
Proponents of EC claim that increased availability will decrease abortion rates. However, evidence from studies done worldwide contradicts this claim. In a recent editorial in the British Medical Journal, the author notes that even though the use of EC increased from 1% to 12% during the last 20 years in women requesting ab…