University of Pittsburgh

A recent small study found that 25-50 percent of women seeking emergency contraception at a family planning clinic were not able to receive the most effective form of emergency contraception, the copper IUD, because current guidelines exclude women who have had unprotected sex more than 5 days ago. This grant would support a study to test whether the copper IUD is effective at preventing pregnancy for this group of women. The results could significantly expand who is eligible for this extremely effective method of contraception.