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Previous Volume 337:1058-1064 October 9, 1997 Number 15 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Emergency postcoital contraception may be defined as the use of a drug or device to prevent pregnancy after intercourse. Unwanted pregnancy is common; worldwide, about 50 million pregnancies are terminated each year.¹ It has been calculated that each year the widespread use of emergency contraception in the United States could prevent over 1 million abortions and 2 million unintended pregnancies that end in childbirth.²

A variety of different methods of emergency contraception are available (Table 1). The first to be described was high-dose estrogen, although currently the most widely used is a combination of estrogen and progestin. Recent . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Probability of Conception

Mode of Action of Emergency Contraception

Effects on Ovulation

Effects on Fertilization

Effects on Gamete Transport

Effects on the Function of the Corpus Luteum

Effects on Implantation

Interruption of Pregnancy

Indications for Emergency Contraception

Efficacy of Emergency Contraception

Combined Estrogen and Progestin

Estrogen Alone

The Intrauterine Contraceptive Device

Progestin Alone

Danazol

Antiprogestins

Availability of Emergency Contraception

Conclusions

Source Information

From the Edinburgh Healthcare Trust Family Planning and Well Woman Services and the University of Edinburgh Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology — both in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Glasier at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Edinburgh, 18 Dean Terr., Edinburgh EH4 1NL, Scotland, United Kingdom.

References

Related Letters:

Emergency Postcoital Contraception
Potter L. S., Trussell J., Rarick L.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1998; 338:476-477, Feb 12, 1998. Correspondence

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