Increase in Morning-After Pill Use

Emergency contraception can be used by women after sexual intercourse in an
effort to prevent an unintended pregnancy. Roughly one-half of all pregnancies
in the United States are unintended (1,2). The FDA first approved emergency
contraceptive pills in 1998, but there is evidence of limited use of hormonal
contraceptives for emergency contraception since the 1960s (3,4). Now, there
are at least four brands of emergency contraceptive pills; most are available
over the counter for women aged 17 and over (5). Although insertion of a
copper intrauterine device can be used for emergency contraception (1,4), this
report focuses only on emergency contraceptive pills. This report describes
trends and variation in the use of emergency contraception and reasons for
use among sexually experienced women aged 15–44 using the 2006–2010
National Survey of Family Growth.
Keywords: unintended pregnancy • method failure • unprotected sex • National
Survey of Family Growth
The percentage of sexually experienced women who have
ever used emergency contraception has increased over time.

Figure 1. Percentage of sexually experienced women aged 15–44 who have ever used
emergency contraception: United States, 1995, 2002, and 2006–2010, and frequency of use
among women who have ever used emergency contraception, 2006–2010

In 2006–2010, 11% (or 5.8 million) of sexually experienced women aged 15–44 had ever used
emergency contraception, compared with 4.2% of women in 2002 and less than 1% in 1995
(Figure 1). In 2006–2010, of women who had ever used emergency contraception, 59% had used
it once, 24% had used it twice, and 17% had used it three or more times.