Emergency Contraceptive Procedures (ECPs) are methods of preventing pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse. Emergency contraception can be used when a condom breaks, after a sexual assault, or any time unprotected sexual intercourse occurs. Do not use emergency contraceptives as your only protection against pregnancy if you are sexually active or planning to be, because they are not nearly as effective as any ongoing contraceptive method. Emergency contraceptives available in the United States include:

Contraceptive pills
Copper-T Intrauterine Device (IUD)
Considerable research demonstrates that emergency contraception is safe and effective. They cannot, however, protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

Depending on the time during the menstrual cycle that they are taken, ECPs may inhibit or delay ovulation, inhibit tubal transport of the egg or sperm, interfere with fertilization, or alter the endometrium (the lining of the uterus), thereby inhibiting implantation of a fertilized egg. The copper in copper-T IUDs can prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg and can also alter the endometrium, thereby inhibiting implantation of a fertilized egg.

According to the Office of Population Research at Princeton University, which sponsors the Emergency Contraception Website (http://ec.princeton.edu/), certain brands of contraceptive pills that can be used for emergency contraception are approved by the FDA for ordinary contraception and their use for emergency contraception is perfectly legal. The FDA has explicitly declared ECPs to be safe and effective.

Two FDA-approved prescription drugs, Preven and Plan B, were developed specifically for emergency contraceptive use. These so-called "morning-after pills" are essentially high-dose birth control pills that are taken within three days after sexual intercourse and are 75% effective.

A Copper-T IUD (ParaGard ® T380A manufactured by Ortho-McNeil, for example) is inserted up to five days after unprotected sexual intercourse and is 99% effective in reducing the risk of pregnancy.

Since ECPs are approved by the FDA, any physician or healthcare provider can prescribe them. To find out the name of a provider or clinic in your area that administers emergency contraception, visit the Office of Population Research Provider Search page, located at http://ec.princeton.edu/providers/index.html or contact the EC hotline at 1-800-584-9911. If a woman seeking emergency contraception already has birth control pills in her possession, she should call the clinic that prescribed the pills. Another resource is the Feminist Women's Health Center (http://www.fwhc.org/ecinfo.htm). Call their toll-free number at 1-800-572-4223.

Pros:

Offers a last resort option to pregnancy for women who need a second chance.
Cons:

Does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
Can only be used within 72 hours after unprotected sex.
Medical risks/side effects:

Nausea and vomiting
Headache
Breast tenderness
Dizziness
Fluid retention
Irregular bleeding
Although ECPs are safe for most women, it is generally not appropriate for those who have ever had stroke or heart attack, cancer of the breast or reproductive organs, migraine headaches, blood clots, liver disease, or for women who have missed their period or are late.

Effectiveness:

75%-oral contraceptives

99%-IUD insertion