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HCET Home > Resources > EC Home > Info for Pros > Importance of Timely Use
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Importance of Timely Use
When taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex, emergency contraception is highly effective in preventing pregnancy (see Table 1). In fact, unintended pregnancy without EC is over 16 times more likely than when EC is taken within 12 hours of mid-cycle unprotected intercourse. One in twelve women is likely to become pregnant without EC compared to one in two-hundred with appropriately administered EC. Timely access to emergency contraception is crucial to maximizing its efficacy; therefore it is vital that individuals are already aware of EC prior to an incident occurring. The chart below shows that women are more likely to prevent an unintended or unwanted pregnancy if they receive and use EC soon after unprotected intercourse.|
Emergency Contraception: Efficacy and Timeliness of Intervention |
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| Progestin Only Pills (Levonorgestrel) | Combination Pills (Yuzpe Regimen) | |||||||
| EC Following Unprotected Intercourse: Hours |
<24 | 24-48 | 48-72 | <72 | <24 | 24-48 | 48-72 | <72 |
| Unintended Pregnancies Prevented | 95% | 85% | 58% | 85% | 77% | 36% | 31% | 57% |
| Chance of Unintended Pregnancy | 1 in 250 | 1 in 83 | 1 in 37 | 1 in 91 | 1 in 50 | 1 in 24 | 1 in 21 | 1 in 31 |
| Change of Pregnancy among Women having Mid-Cycle Unprotected Intercourse without EC: 1 in 12 | ||||||||
For More Information
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) News Release - Emergency Contraception: Works Up to 120 Hours and in Different Combinations
- Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation's Daily Women's Health Policy - Contraception & Family Planning | Emergency Contraception Effective Up to 120 Hours After Unprotected Sex, Study Says [Jun 03, 2003]
