Recommendations for Contraceptive Use
		Oral Contraceptives as Emergency Contraceptive Pills

Recommendations	Rationale
a) While ECPs conceivably can be used as often as a woman has unprotected intercourse, this is not recommended. There are no data to suggest that there are serious medical consequences of repeated treatment within one cycle. However, ECPs are not as effective as the regular use of other steroidal contraceptive methods; repeated use of ECPs, especially during one cycle, can result in a level of exposure to contraceptive steroids equal to or above routine combined oral contraceptive (COC) use, in which case, COC medical eligibility concerns may become important; and unpleasant side effects of nausea and vomiting and the disruption of a woman's menstrual bleeding pattern due to ECPs make repeated use undesirable for most women.	a) The consequences of repeated use will be lower efficacy than other steroidal methods, repeated nausea and vomiting and a disruption in the bleeding pattern. There is some concern if ECPs are used so frequently that the average level of exposure to contraceptive steroids over one cycle is equal to or above routine COC use. Webb A. How safe is the Yuzpe method of emergency contraception? Fertility Control Reviews 1995;4(2):16-8.
b) Counseling about other contraceptive options after the use of ECPs should be encouraged at the same time as ECPs are provided, when appropriate.

Any part of Recommendations for Updating Selected Practices in Contraceptive Use may be reproduced or adapted to meet local needs without prior permission from the TG/CWG Secretariat, provided the TG/CWG is acknowledged and the material is made available free of charge or at cost.