BACKGROUND The recent FDA approval of non-prescription sales of Plan B, an emergency contraceptive method to those 18 years old and over, gives a prominent role to pharmacists in providing timely access to emergency contraception (EC). While this decision affects Puerto Rico, no studies on non-prescription EC in Puerto Rico have been conducted. The purpose of this study is to identify the knowl...

CONTEXT Emergency contraception can play an important role in reducing the rate of unintended pregnancies in Nigeria. Although it is included in the national family planning guidelines, there is limited awareness of this method among clients. METHODS In 2003-2004, a sample of 256 health care providers within Lagos State were surveyed about their knowledge of, attitudes toward and provision of...

Access to emergency contraception (EC) has little restriction in South Africa. EC is a contraceptive method that can be used by women up to 7 days after unprotected intercourse. It can be used in the following situations: when no contraceptive has been used; for condom accidents; after intrauterine contraceptive device expulsion; when a contraceptive method has been incorrectly used, or contrac...

OBJECTIVES To compare women who enroll in emergency contraception (EC) trials to those who decline and to understand why eligible women decline to participate. METHODS Data were collected from all women seeking EC (n = 5,787) at three clinics in the USA and UK during a period of nearly 1 year (from September 1997 to August 1998). The main outcome measures were pregnancy risk calculated by adj...

BACKGROUND While the use of emergency contraception (EC) is becoming more widespread in Australia, little is known about the reasons for, and the social context of, this use. METHODS In order to explore the use of EC from the perspective of users, a qualitative study was conducted with women presenting to one of three health care settings in Melbourne, Australia for EC. RESULTS Thirty-two w...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Emergency contraception (EC) is an underutilized method of preventing unplanned pregnancy. This study assessed family physicians' and nurse providers' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about EC. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was distributed to faculty, residents, and clinic nurses in a Midwestern department of family medicine. Data were analyzed using Statistical ...

Teenage pregnancies are often not intended, and there is a high risk that unintended pregnancies will lead to abortion. The wide-spread availability of Youth Clinics, the subsidizing of contraceptives and the introduction of new and effective contraceptives have failed to lower the abortion rates. The aim of this thesis was to study possible risk groups and to highlight underlying reasons for c...

BACKGROUND The vulnerabilities of young women of low socio-economic status and those with little or no formal education tend to dominate the discourse on unplanned pregnancy, unsafe abortion and emergency contraception (EC) in sub-Saharan Africa. This article draws on a survey conducted among female undergraduate students to shed light on sexual behaviour and the dynamics of emergency contracep...

There has been much debate regarding levonorgestrel emergency contraception's (LNG-EC's) method of action since 1999 when the Food and Drug Administration first approved its use. Proponents of LNG-EC have argued that they have moral certitude that LNG-EC works via a non-abortifacient mechanism of action, and claim that all the major scientific and medical data consistently support this hypothes...

nancy are long-standing priorities for Washington State’s Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Working together to ensure that all pregnancies are intended (consciously and clearly desired at the time of conception), the two agencies provide family planning counseling and a broad choice of contraceptive methods through a range of health and social serv...