What is Emergency Contraception?
Emergency contraception (EC) is a back-up birth control method used to prevent unintended pregnancy when a woman has unprotected sex, including when birth control fails, or in cases of sexual assault.
EC was approved in 1997 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a safe way to prevent pregnancy. FDA studies indicate that there are no serious side effects associated with the use of EC.
The FDA ruled in 2006 for EC to be available over-the-counter at the pharmacy for women 18 years and older. Women younger than 18 will need a prescription from their doctor or other heath care provider. Visit www.IneedEC.info for information about teens and EC.
Emergency contraception -- also known as the "morning-after pill" -- is a higher dose of birth control pills which must be taken within 120 hours after unprotected intercourse.
EC reduce the risk of pregnancy by more than 75 percent if taken within 120 hours. EC is almost seven times more effective if taken within the first 24 hours of unprotected sex.
If a woman is already pregnant when she takes EC, it will not disrupt the pregnancy or harm the fetus in any way.
According to The New England Journal of Medicine, emergency contraception could prevent as many as 1.7 million of the approximately 3 million unintended pregnancies each year.
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