BACKGROUND Despite the guidelines for managing sexual assault being in place, victims of sexual assault attended to at Kadoma General Hospital consistently raised complaints related to the quality of care offered. Medicolegal data for sexual assault has been collected at the hospital since 2012. However, no analysis had been done regardless of complaints having been raised. We analysed the data...

To the Editor: Emergency contraception (EC) when used after unprotected intercourse, within defined time limits, can reduce the risk of an unwanted pregnancy. In South Africa EC is available free of charge in public sector clinics and over the counter, i.e. without prescription, in private sector pharmacies. Termination of pregnancy services have been legal in SA since 1996 and have resulted in...

BACKGROUND AND METHODS Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are becoming more popular, yet little is known about the contraceptive preferences of women who take ECPs. Women purchasing ECPs were recruited from pharmacies in Accra, Ghana. A total of 24 semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted in May 2008. RESULTS Nearly all participants preferred ECPs to other contraceptive method...

Emergency post-coital contraception (EC) is an effective method of preventing pregnancy when used appropriately. EC has been available since the 1970s, and its availability and use have become widespread. Options for EC are broad and include the copper intrauterine device (IUD) and emergency contraceptive pills such as levonorgestrel, ulipristal acetate, combined oral contraceptive pills (Yuzpe...

Teenage pregnancy is a significant public health issue. Worldwide, some 15 million pregnancies occur every year among young women aged 15 to 19, approximately 1.25 million in the 28 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) nations, and between 750.000 and 850.000 in the United States. As is well known, an estimated fifth of pregnancies World Wide ended in abortion. In Europe...

Indications for the use of emergency contraception include sexual assault, unprotected intercourse, condom breakage or slippage, and missed or late doses of hormonal contraceptives, including the oral contraceptive pill, contraceptive patch, contraceptive ring (i.e., improper placement or loss/expulsion), and inject able contraception.Though a battery of contraceptive methods are available and ...

BACKGROUND With increasing acceptance of premarital sex among young Chinese women, the rates of unintended pregnancies and induced abortions are becoming alarmingly high, suggesting the needs of educating women with adequate contraceptive knowledge and providing them with accessible contraceptive services. Previous studies have shown that knowledge and attitudes towards contraception could be m...

In ruling on the over-the-counter status (OTC) of the emergency contraceptive, "Plan B", the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) questioned whether younger adolescent females could adequately self-select and self-medicate. That determination requires a judgment of fact, regarding how increased emergency contraceptive availability would affect adolescents' behavior, and a judgment of values, r...

Background & aim: Avoiding unintended pregnancy is an important issue among college students. Emergency contraception is considered as a practical method to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. This study was conducted to measure the knowledge of college students regarding emergency contraception in Zanjan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 911 college students, ...

Focusing on intrauterine contraceptives (IUC), contraceptive implants, and emergency contraceptives, we review recent advances in contraceptive development and discuss progress in policies to improve access to the most effective methods. We report on the shift in practice towards routinely providing IUCs and implants to young and nulliparous women, prompted in part by the reduced diameter of th...