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Chapter 15 - Emergency Contraception

from Section 2A - Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: Contraception

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2024

By
Sharon T. Cameron
Edited by
Johannes Bitzer  and
Tahir A. Mahmood
Johannes Bitzer
Affiliation:
University Women's Hospital, Basel
Tahir A. Mahmood
Affiliation:
Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy
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Summary

Emergency contraception (EC) is defined as any drug or device used after sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy. The recommended options for oral EC are ulipristal acetate (UPA), a progesterone receptor modulator (30 mg), and the progestogen levonorgestrel (LNG) (1.5 mg or 3 mg dose depending on weight). Ulipristal acetate is licenced to be used within 120 hours of sexual intercourse and LNG within 72 hours. Mifepristone, a progesterone receptor modulator, is also used as an oral EC, but it is only available for this purpose in China, Vietnam, Russia, Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine. Although the copper intrauterine device is the most effective form of EC, oral EC remains the more commonly used approach [2].

Type
Chapter
Information
Textbook of Contraception, Sexual and Reproductive Health , pp. 114 - 117
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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References

International Consortium for Emergency Contraception. In depth country information. www.cecinfo.org/country-by-country-information/in-depth.Google Scholar
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