Effectiveness of emergency contraception in women after sexual assault.
10.5653/cerm.2013.40.3.126
- Author:
Dong Seok CHOI
1
;
Miran KIM
;
Kyung Joo HWANG
;
Kyoung Mi LEE
;
Tae Wook KONG
Author Information
1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea. kmr5300@ajou.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Sexual assault;
Emergency contraception;
Levonorgestrel
- MeSH:
Ambulatory Care Facilities;
Contraception;
Contraception, Postcoital;
Emergencies;
Female;
Follow-Up Studies;
Gynecological Examination;
Gynecology;
Humans;
Levonorgestrel;
Pregnancy;
Republic of Korea;
Retrospective Studies
- From:Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
2013;40(3):126-130
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of emergency single-dose levonorgestrel contraception in preventing unintended pregnancies among woman who visited the emergency department (ED) due to sexual assault (SA). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review in a university hospital in South Korea. Cases from November 10, 2006 to November 9, 2009 were enrolled. Information from the initial visit to the ED and subsequent follow-up visits to the gynecology outpatient clinic was collected. RESULTS: In total, 1,179 women visited the ED due to SA. Among them, 416 patients had a gynecological examination and 302 patients who received emergency contraception (EC) (1.5 mg single-dose levonorgestrel) at the ED due to SA were enrolled. Ten patients did not return for follow-up examinations. In follow-up visits at the outpatient clinic, two pregnancies were confirmed, which showed the failure rate of the EC to be 0.68%. CONCLUSION: Single-dose levonorgestrel EC is extremely effective at preventing pregnancy among victims of SA.
