Are you wondering what form of emergency contraception is the safest and most effective for preventing pregnancy?

If a woman has a single episode of unprotected intercourse, she can conceive a child.  Nearly 50% of US pregnancies are unintended.  The likelihood of pregnancy after a single episode of unprotected intercourse is highly variable depending on where the woman is in her cycle.  Emergency contraception is the use of a device or medication to prevent pregnancy and this can be MORE THAN 95% effective at preventing pregnancy when used within 5 days of intercourse.

Research involved nearly 60,500 women who had engaged in a single act of unprotected intercourse.  The result showed the most effective method to prevent pregnancy is mifepristone. A one-time dose of mifepristone was more effective than any dose of oral levonorgestrel (Plan B One-Step).  A moderate-dose mifepristone (25 to 50 mg) was more effective than mifepristone 25 mg.  Ulipristal (Ella) is more effective than oral levonorgestrel. 

Copper IUD can be inserted up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse for use as emergency contraception.  Then it can be used for emergency contraception and can stay in place for 10 years.  The copper IUD is as effective as mifepristone for emergency contraception. 

One other method of emergency contraception is the combination (estrogen and progesterone) oral contraceptive pills often used for long-term birth control.  This is used (with a different dosing regimen) for emergency contraception and is not as effective as the rest of the methods. 

Of course, I suggest abstinence OR use of routine contraception (condoms, birth control pills, IUDs, etc) before I suggest emergency contraception. 

Ask your physician for emergency contraceptive pills. You can have them at-the-ready at home.

Be ready….