Emergency Medicine Reports – November 28, 2004
November 28, 2004
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Emergency Contraception
For the emergency physician, sexual assault represents the most common presenting complaint associated with the potential for an unintended pregnancy. Annually, approximately 40,000 people in the United States visit EDs after sexual assault. Pregnancy is estimated to occur in approximately 5% of sexual assaults. Thus, pregnancy prevention is an important part of the care for these patients. For the emergency physician, EC represents the most viable treatment option. However, while highly effective when used properly, it is associated with a number of issues that make it much less commonly used.