HOW FREQUENTLY IS EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION PRESCRIBED

A 1993 survey of 294 reproductive health care providers, family practitioners and emergency room physicians investigated the frequency of prescribing emergency contraception. Hormonal emergency contraception had been prescribed by respondents an average of 3.4 times in the preceding 12 months. Almost one-third of the prescriptions were for rape victims, and majority written by emergency physicians. Fifteen IUD insertions for emergency contraception were performed in the preceding year. Few respondents had ever discussed emergency contraception with patients or had literature available on the topic.