What are the types of emergency contraception and how do they work?
There are two types: • Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) • Intrauterine device (IUD) Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) With ECPs, higher doses of the same hormones found in regular birth control pills prevent pregnancy by keeping the egg from leaving the ovary or keeping the sperm from joining the egg. While it is possible that ECPs might work by keeping a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus, the most up-to-date research suggests that ECPs do not work in this way. In the United States, there is only one FDA-approved pill that is specially made to be used as an ECP. It is called Plan B. However, when used in a certain way, some regular birth control pills also can be used as ECPs. • Plan B — Plan B is a progestin-only ECP. It is made for use as emergency contraception. Plan B is like progestin-only birth control pills, but contains higher levels of the hormone. The instructions for Plan B say to take the two pills 12 hours apart. But research has shown that taking both pil
