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PubMed · 11320734

[Emergency contraception].

P Draca
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to point to the significance of emergency contraception following unsafe sexual intercourse. This method of contraception has been in use since the middle sixties, although in our country it is not applied very often. Indications for emergency contraception comprise every woman who experiences contraceptive failure or those not using any common contraception for any reason. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Emergency contraceptive devices are most often applied either in combination with estrogen and progesterone or only progesterone in high dosage (0.25 mg levonorgestrel and 50 mg ethinyl-estradiol) during 72 hours after the intercourse and a repeated dose 12 hours later. CONCLUSION: Emergency contraception is recommended as a single procedure. If used several times during a year, the risk of unwanted pregnancy increases. The mechanism of effect of emergency contraception depends on the timing during menstrual cycle; it can prevent ovulation, fertilization or implantation. Emergency contraception does not cause abortion and it is not effective if the process of implantation has started. Unwanted side-effects are not known.

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Contraceptives, PostcoitalFemaleHumansEnglish AbstractJournal Article

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P Draca. [Emergency contraception].. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11320734/

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PubMed2007

Population effect of increased access to emergency contraceptive pills: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: We systematically reviewed data on effects of increased access to emergency contraceptive pills on pregnancy rates and use of the pills. DATA SOURCES: We searched MEDLINE, POPLINE, EMBASE, and LILACS, and we consulted with experts. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: We included studies that compared the effect of different levels of access to emergency contraceptive pills on pregnancy rates, use of the pills, and other outcomes. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Of the 717 articles identified, we selected 23 for review. The studies included randomized trials, cohort studies, and evaluations of community interventions. The quality of these studies varied. In all but one study, increased access to emergency contraceptive pills was associated with greater use. However, no study found an effect on pregnancy or abortion rates. CONCLUSION: Increased access to emergency contraceptive pills enhances use but has not been shown to reduce unintended pregnancy rates. Further research is needed to explain this finding and to define the best ways to use emergency contraception to produce a public health benefit.

Contraceptives, Postcoital↗