Which interventions are most effective for emergency contraception?

BEEM Bottom Line

Why is this study important?

Emergency contraception (EC) refers to the prevention of pregnancy within hours of unprotected sexual intercourse. Unintended pregnancies have significant costs for women globally, and unsafe abortions are accessed because of the lack of alternatives; thereby, contributing to 13% of maternal deaths worldwide.[1] About 75% of these abortions can be eliminated when access to adequate family planning resources is met.[2] The objective of this review was to determine which EC method (i.e., copper intrauterine device [Cu-IUD] or hormonal emergency contraceptive pills [ECP]) is most effective, safe and convenient to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

Which, if any, threats to validity are most likely to have an impact on the results and how?

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