Emergency contraception is more varied than you might think

Emergency contraception is more varied than you might think

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Jan. 29, 2010 11:06 AM PT _This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts._ Making headlines today is a new


study in the Lancet comparing the emergency contraceptives ulipristal acetate and levonorgestrel. Note, however, that the former is approved in the United Kingdom, but not in the U.S. The


latter is a form of the hormone progestin, which is approved here. Here’s the summary from the medical journal. And here’s a nice analysis of the study from the Guardian in the U.K. The


study serves as a reminder that emergency contraception is not just the ‘morning-after pill,’ often sold as Plan B. It can take a variety of medication forms. Here’s a comparison of the


drugs used in this country -- and elsewhere around the globe -- for emergency contraception. Many of them are also prescribed for routine contraceptive purposes. Here’s a specific


explanation of how those pills are used. The information is from the Office of Population Research at Princeton University. -- Tami Dennis