Advantages of emergency contraception
Emergency contraception is very effective when used early, with only 3% of women becoming pregnant if used within 24 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse. Its use can also provide an appropriate opportunity for a client to start an ongoing family planning method, such as an IUCD.
Disadvantages of emergency contraception
The box below summarises the disadvantages of using emergency contraception that you should be aware of when advising women.
Disadvantages of emergency contraception
- It does not work if women are already pregnant.
- It has a limited time frame of 5 days following unprotected intercourse.
- Women still have a small chance of getting pregnant.
- IUCD insertion requires a trained professional.
- Neither method provides protection from sexually transmitted infections.