Emergency Contraception
- Emergency Contraception Overview
- Emergency Contraceptive Pills
- Emergency Intrauterine Device
- How Emergency Contraception Works
- Obtaining Emergency Contraception
- Exams and Tests
- Emergency Contraception Treatment
- Benefits and Drawbacks
- When to Call the Doctor
- Prevention
- Legal Issues
- For More Information
- Web Links
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
Emergency Contraception Overview
Emergency contraception (birth control after sexual intercourse) is the use of a drug or device to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse. Emergency contraception can be used when a condom breaks, if a diaphragm or cervical cap slips out of place during intercourse, after a sexual assault, or any time unprotected intercourse occurs. Emergency contraceptive pills are sometimes called the “morning-after pill,” but they are usually effective if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse.
Emergency contraceptives available in the United States include emergency contraceptive pills, which contain the same hormones found in birth control pills, and the Copper T380 intrauterine device (IUD). Both the Preven kit and the Plan B kit are pills marketed as emergency contraceptive pills.
Emergency contraceptive measures can be taken within the first 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse to reduce the possibility of pregnancy. A woman is most likely to become pregnant if sexual intercourse occurs in the few days before or after ovulation (release of an egg from the ovary). Emergency contraceptives should not be used as a contraceptive method in women who are sexually active or planning to become sexually active. They are not as effective as any ongoing contraceptive method.Next: Emergency Contraceptive Pills »
| Printer-Friendly Format | | | Email to a Friend |
Women's Health
Find out what women really need.
From WebMD
Women's Health Resources
- 13 Best Quit-Smoking Tips Ever
- Bladder Game: Can You Beat the Urge?
- Get the Facts About Mineral Makeup
Featured Centers
- 12 Ways to Prevent the Spread of Viruses
- 10 Surprising Benefits of Treating Depression
- Healthy Home: To Buy or Not to Buy Organic?
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Emergency Contraception
How to Use a Condom Overview
Among the many barrier methods of birth control, the condom for men is used most often. Condoms are inexpensive and available in many convenient locations, without a doctor’s prescription. In addition to preventing pregnancy, if used properly, a condom may also protect users from infecting a sex partner with a sexually transmitted disease.
Although no form of birth control is 100% effective, the condom can be quite effective if it is put on correctly.
The Male Condom
The Male Condom
A condom is a thin sheath placed over an erect penis. A condom worn by a man prevents pregnancy by acting as a barrier to the passage of semen into the vagina. A condom can be worn only once.
Condoms are one of the most popular and affordable forms of birth control. You can buy condoms at most drugstores and grocery stores, and dispensers can often be found in public restrooms. Condoms are also called rubber...
Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine
Featured Topics
Most Popular Topics
Explore 80+ Centers
- Allergy
- Allergy Medications
- Anaphylaxis
- Antidepressants
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Baby's Health
- Back, Neck, Head Injury
- Bioterrorism, Warfare
- Blood, Lymphatic System
- Bone, Joint, Muscle
- Brain, Nervous System
- Breathing Difficulties
- Burns
- Camping
- Cancer, Tumors
- Children's Health
- Cholesterol
- Cold and Flu
- CPR, Choking
- Cuts, Scrapes, Bruises
- Dementia
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Diabetic Coma, Insulin Shock
- Digestive System
- Dislocations
- Drowning
- Drug Overdose
- Ear, Nose, Throat
- Emotional Wellness
- Endocrine System
- Environmental Injuries
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Exercise, Nutrition
- Eye, Vision
- Fainting
- Fever
- First Aid, Emergency
- First Aid Kits
- Food Poisoning
- Foreign Bodies
- Fractures, Broken Bones
- Glaucoma
- Headache
- Health, Medical
- Heartburn, GERD, Reflux
- Heart, Blood Vessels
- Heart Attack
- Hepatitis
- Immune System
- Incontinence
- Infections
- Kidneys, Urinary System
- Lung, Airway
- Medications
- Men's Health
- Mental Health, Behavior
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Nosebleeds
- Osteoporosis
- Outdoor Living
- Overexposure
- Poisoning
- Procedures
- Psoriasis
- Public Health
- Scuba Diving, Swimming
- Seizures
- Senior Health
- Shock
- Skin, Hair, Nails
- Sleep Disorders
- Social, Family Health
- Sports Injury
- Sprains, Strains
- Statins
- STDs
- Substance Abuse
- Teen Health
- Teeth, Mouth, Oral Health
- Weight Management
- Wilderness Emergencies
- Women's Health
- Wounds
