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Safety of emergency contraception
1Family Planning and Well Woman Services, Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust.
Journal of the American Medical Women'S Association (1972)
|December 22, 1998
Summary
Emergency contraception (EC) prevents pregnancy using four safe regimens. Available data suggest EC is extremely safe, especially compared to pregnancy risks, supporting wider accessibility.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Four emergency contraception (EC) regimens exist globally: combined ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel, levonorgestrel-only, mifepristone, and intrauterine device insertion.
- These EC regimens are also utilized for long-term contraception, and mifepristone is used as an abortifacient, with established safety profiles in these applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety of available emergency contraception (EC) regimens.
- To address the over-medicalization of EC and advocate for increased accessibility.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing safety data for EC regimens used in long-term contraception and as abortifacients.
- Theoretical assessment and practical experience evaluation of EC safety.
Main Results:
- While specific EC safety data are limited, all available regimens are theoretically and practically considered extremely safe.
- The safety of EC is significantly favorable when compared to the inherent risks associated with pregnancy.
Conclusions:
- Emergency contraception (EC) is exceptionally safe, particularly when contrasted with the risks of pregnancy.
- The prescribing process for EC is straightforward, suggesting that making EC available over-the-counter warrants consideration due to its high safety profile.