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  • Title: Emergency contraception: the nurse's role in providing postcoital options.
    Author: Lindberg CE.
    Journal: J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs; 1997; 26(2):145-52. PubMed ID: 9087898.
    Abstract:
    Emergency contraception refers to pregnancy prevention methods initiated after unprotected sexual intercourse. Research has shown that 75% of the 3.5 million unintended pregnancies that occur in the United States every year could be prevented through use of emergency contraception. Hormonal methods and postcoital insertion of intrauterine devices have been shown to be safe and effective. Nurses play an essential role in the distribution of emergency contraception as patient educators, advocates, and support persons. An estimated 75% of the 3.5 million unintended pregnancies that occur in the US each year could be averted through use of emergency contraception. Nurses can play central roles in emergency contraceptive distribution as patient educators, advocates, and support persons. Nurses who work in emergency departments and outpatient settings are in an ideal position to participate in the development and implementation of emergency contraceptive programs. In the US, oral contraceptives and copper-containing IUDs are the two methods used for emergency contraception; RU-486, widely used in other countries for this purpose, is not yet available in the US. Lack of knowledge of the availability of emergency contraception is a major barrier to its effective use. Information about this option should be integrated into the health care of all women of reproductive age. Some health care providers will provide a woman with an emergency dose of oral contraceptives and detailed instructions for their use to avoid delays in access when postcoital contraception is needed. Women who take doses at home must be instructed about the prevention of vomiting and what to do if vomiting occurs. It should be emphasized, however, that this method should not replace routine contraceptive use and does not confer protection against sexually transmitted diseases. In cases of rape or sexual assault, women should be offered options for psychological counseling and emotional support.
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