Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception is an FDA-approved form of contraception that prevents pregnancy after unprotected sex, birth control failure, or sexual assault. It is also known as the "morning-after pill." Access to emergency contraception has increased, but barriers to this safe and effective method of pregnancy prevention remain. We're working to ensure that women have access to emergency contraception to prevent unintended pregnancy.

More Resources

Fact Sheet | Drugstore Dilemma: What to do if Your Pharmacy Won’t Give You Birth Control Pills or Emergency Contraception (the “Morning-After Pill”)

April 22, 2012

There have been increasing reports of pharmacists and pharmacies refusing to fill women’s prescriptions for birth control, including emergency contraception (the “morning-after pill” or EC).  These refusals are based on personal beliefs, not on legitimate medical or professional concerns.  The same pharmacists who refuse to dispense contraceptives often refuse to transfer a woman’s prescription to another pharmacist or to refer her to another pharmacy.  These refusals can have devastating consequences for women’s health.

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Fact Sheet | Accessing Non-Prescription Emergency Contraception: The Basics

April 22, 2012

This factsheet provides basic information on types of emergency contraception and answers frequently asked questions regarding obtaining and using EC. 

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Fact Sheet | Pharmacy Access to Emergency Contraception

April 22, 2012

Until the FDA approves all EC products for non-prescription use by women of all ages, pharmacy access is an important mechanism to ensure that those seeking to prevent pregnancy have every opportunity to do so.  This factsheet explain the benefits of pharmacy access to emergency contraception and the obstacles currently in place.

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Fact Sheet | Emergency Contraception: Barriers to Access

April 22, 2012

Access to emergency contraception (EC or “the morning-after pill”) has greatly increased in the last few years. Yet barriers remain, preventing truly unencumbered access to this important method of pregnancy prevention.

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Fact Sheet | The Title X Family Planning Program: Providing Critical Reproductive Health Care to Millions of Women

April 06, 2011

Title X (Ten) of the Public Health Service Act was signed into law in 1970 by President Richard Nixon, with strong bipartisan support in Congress. As the first and only comprehensive federal program dedicated to the provision of family planning services nationwide, Title X is an integral component of the nation’s public health infrastructure, providing critical reproductive health care to more than five million low-income women and men at over 4,500 community-based clinics across the nation. As the economy falters, more and more individuals come to rely on Title X clinics for reproductive and preventive care.

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