Introduction

Sometimes sexual intercourse takes place without the intention of the woman and she is then at risk of becoming pregnant. In many developing countries,  many pregnancies are unintended and unwanted, despite there being highly effective and safe methods of contraception. These unintended or unwanted pregnancies may carry a higher risk of morbidity and mortality for women, often due to the risk of unsafe abortions. Many of these unplanned pregnancies could have been avoided by using emergency contraception. It is a fact that emergency contraception can help women by providing the last opportunity to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.

In this study session, you will learn about the definitions, types and mechanism of action, effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages, precautions, side effects, and management of side effects, in relation to emergency contraception (EC).