EBC pills sometimes cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, irregular bleeding and disruptions of your menstrual cycle (see the What are the side effects of using emergency birth control? FAQ). EBC pills should only be used as a backup in case of emergencies, and not as a regular form of birth control (see the Can I use emergency birth control every time I have sex instead of other regular birth control methods? FAQ).

Be sure to inform your doctor or health care provider if you have ever had any of the following problems:

-- Blood clots in the deep veins of the your legs (now or in the past)
-- Blood clots in the lungs (now or in the past)
-- Heart attack (current or history)
-- Stroke (current or history)
-- Valvular heart disease with complications
-- Severe high blood pressure
-- Diabetes with blood vessel involvement
-- Severe headaches [including classic (complicated) migraine]
-- Liver tumors (non-cancerous and cancerous), or active liver disease
-- Allergic to any components of the product

Also be sure to inform your doctor if you smoke.

If you have been raped or have had sex with someone you suspect has an STD such as HIV, there are emergency treatments available that can reduce your risk of becoming infected. You should contact your doctor immediately, or call RAINN at 1-800-656-HOPE. For more information, you can also visit RAINN's website at www.rainn.org, or you can visit www.911rape.org.

To protect yourself from STDs you should always use a condom or dental dam whenever you have sex. The bacteria and viruses that cause STDs such as HIV are contained in bodily fluids. Condoms and dental dams provide a physical barrier that minimizes exchange of bodily fluids during sex, thereby offering some protection from STDs.

Just like regular birth control, emergency birth control does not prevent the exchange of bodily fluids, and therefore does not protect you from STDs.

There is no way to be 100 percent protected from STDs. Even if you use a condom or a dental dam, you can still contract any diseases your partner has if he or she is infected. You should never have sex with a person without knowing their sexual history, and you should insist on being tested for STDs before having sex in a relationship whenever possible.

STD testing is smart, safe, completely anonymous, and usually free. For more information about where you and your partner can get tested in your area, call Planned Parenthood at 1-800-230-PLAN. Also see the Where can I get tested for STDs such as HIV? FAQ.

Studies have shown that progestin-only EBC pills such as Plan B reduce the risk of becoming pregnant by 89 percent on average, and up to 95 percent if taken within 24 hours of having unprotected sex. Combined estrogen and progestin EBC pills such as Preven are less effective, reducing the risk of becoming pregnant by 75 percent on average.

Emergency birth control IUD (intrauterine device) insertion is highly effective and reduces the risk by over 99 percent, but this form of EBC is more invasive and potentially more dangerous than EBC pills.

EBC Pills

If 100 women take EBC pills after having unprotected sex, on average only 1 of them will become pregnant. EBC pills therefore prevent 7 out of 8 likely pregnancies, and therefore reduce the risk of pregnancy by nearly 90 percent. If taken within 24 hours, the effectiveness rises to 95 percent.

These figures are based upon correct use of progestin-only EBC pills (produced by Women's Capital Corporation, known as 'Plan B'). Studies have shown that the older Yuzpe regimen of combined estrogen and progestin EBC pills (the 'Preven Emergency Contraception Kit' produced by Gynetics, Inc. is the most common) is less effective on average than the progestin-only regimen.

Preven prevents 6 out of 8 likely pregnancies on average (75 percent) while Plan B prevents approximately 7 out of 8 likely pregnancies on average (89 percent).

Emergency Birth Control IUD (intrauterine device) Insertion

Emergency birth control IUD insertion has been performed nearly 8,500 times since 1976, with only 8 pregnancies occurring. This rate corresponds to over 99 percent effectiveness. Although emergency birth control IUD insertion is slightly more effective than EBC pills, it requires a more invasive procedure to be performed by a gynecologist, it is more expensive, and it poses greater health risks. IUDs are not normally recommended as a regular means of regular birth control for women who wish to have children in the future because of the risk of pelvic-inflammatory-disease (PID) and infertility. These same risks exist when using emergency birth control IUDs.

Sources:

FDA, 1999
World Health Organization, 1998
Task Force on postovulatory Methods of Fertility Regulation, 1998
Van Look & Stewart, 1998
Knowles & Ringel, 1998

It is a mistake to have unprotected sex because of the risks of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. EBC pills will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases, but they can help prevent unwanted pregnancy if taken within 3 days after having unprotected sex. EBC pills can therefore help you take responsibility for your actions, and for the mistake of having unprotected sex. That makes using EBC highly moral and ethical.

Emergency birth control is just an emergency form of regular birth control, so it is just as moral and just as ethical to use as regular birth control. Emergency birth control has been available for over 25 years, and so with a doctor's approval it is completely legal everywhere in the United States.