ACOG practice bulletin. Emergency oral contraception. Number 25, March 2001. (Replace Practice Pattern Number 3, December 1996). American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Emergency contraception is a therapy for women who have had unprotected sexual intercourse, including sexual assault. It also has been called the "morning-after pill," interception, and postcoital contraception. Methods of emergency contraception include use of combination or progestin-only oral contraceptives, danazol, synthetic estrogens and conjugated estrogens, antiprogestins, and the insertion of an intrauterine device. One particular combination oral-contraceptive regimen is the Yuzpe method This document addresses only combination and progestin-only oral contraceptives because they are the most frequently used methods. This document will present evidence regarding the safety, efficacy, risks, and benefits of the use of oral contraceptives for emergency contraception. For widespread use of this therapy, physician familiarity with the method public awareness of the method's availability, prompt availability of these methods (because of their time-sensitive nature), and access to a physician who is available to prescribe the method must be increased.