Emergency Contraception – What is emergency contraception (or emergency birth control)?

What is emergency contraception (or emergency birth control)?

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, emergency contraception, or emergency birth control, is used to help keep a woman from getting pregnant after she has had unprotected sex (sex without using birth control).

Your spouse should use emergency contraception if:

• She didn’t use birth control 
  
• She was forced to have sex
  
• The condom broke or came off 
  
• You didn’t pull out in time
  
• She missed two or more birth control pills in a row
  
• She was late getting her shot

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, emergency contraception should not be used as regular birth control. Other birth control methods are much better at keeping women from becoming pregnant. Talk with your doctor to decide which one is right for your spouse.

Also See:

·       What are the types of emergency contraception?

·       Is emergency contraception the same thing as the “abortion pill?”

·       How will my spouse get emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs)?

·       Can my spouse get emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) before she needs them?

·       Will ECPs protect my spouse from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?

·       What does my spouse need to do after she takes emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs)?

·       Does emergency contraception work all the time?

·       Will it harm the baby if my spouse took emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) that did not work?