Data sources: Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2003), Popline, Medline (1966 to April 2003), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (1980–2003), CINAHL (1982–2003), Biological abstracts database (1985 to April 2003), Chinese Biological Medical discs (1992 to April 2003), World Health Organization resources (July 2003), Emergency Contraception World Wide Web server (April 2003), contacts with experts and pharmaceutic...

In 2005 the emergency contraception formulation of levonorgestrel (Plan B) became available in Ontario pharmacies without a prescription. We surveyed 239 pharmacies 1 month before the regulatory change and 14-17 months after the change to determine whether availability of the drug increased. The response rates were 79% and 70% before and after the change in status. The proportion of pharmacies ...

Emergency contraception is used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected or inadequately protected sexual intercourse. Common indications include contraceptive failure (e.g., condom breakage, missed doses of oral contraceptives) and failure to use any form of contraception. Although the first emergency contraceptive was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration more than a decade ago, man...