Comparison of U.S. & world data. Effect of
emergency contraception (EC). Awareness of EC.

	Worldwide, about 210 million pregnancies occur each year. About 46 million women have abortions. 1 Presumably most of the rest, 164 million, give birth. If one overlooks the occurrence of stillbirths, this represents an abortion ratio of 280 abortions per 1000 live births -- a value fairly close to that seen in the U.S.
	The abortion rate in the U.S. is much higher than rates reported for Australia, Canada, the UK, and other Western European countries.
	The U.S. abortion rate is lower than rates reported by China, Cuba, most Eastern European countries, and several of the states in Russia. 2,3 A major cause appears to be legal restrictions on the distribution of condoms, or an inadequate supply of contraceptives in some of these countries.
	Abortion and birth rates for teenagers are higher in the U.S. than in most Western European countries and some Eastern European countries apparently because of cultural and educational differences. 4

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The effect of emergency contraception on the number of abortions:

In the year 2000, the Alan Guttmacher Institute evaluated the effect on emergency contraception (EC) on the total number of abortions in the U.S. It is generally acknowledged that this medication is 75% to 90% effective in preventing pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.

	The Institute estimates that the total number of abortions was 1.4 million in 1994 and 1.3 million in 2000 - a reduction of 110,000 abortions or 11%.
	In their 1994 survey of women who had an abortion, they found 1,400 who had become pregnant in spite of using emergency contraception. Thus, they conservatively estimated that three times as many women (4,200 in total) had successfully used EC and had avoided becoming pregnant and having an abortion.
	In 1998, a more convenient form of EC, Preven, became available. In 1999, a second specially packaged EC came on the market. EC usage became much more common.
	In their year 2000 survey, the Institute found 17,000 who had become pregnant in spite of having using EC. They computed that 51,000 women had prevented pregnancy and a subsequent abortion in the year 2000 by using EC.
	The study concluded that the growth in emergency contraceptive usage was responsible for up to 43% of the decline in the number of abortions from 1994 to 2000.

Awareness of emergency contraception:

A 2000-NOV poll indicated that one out of four women had never heard of emergency contraceptives or morning-after pills. Nearly two out of three women did not realize that the pills were available in the U.S. ₅

"To the best of your knowledge, if a woman has unprotected sex is there anything she can do in the 3 days after intercourse that will prevent pregnancy?

"What can she do?"

As more women become aware of the availability of EC, the potential for major future reductions in the abortion number, abortion rate and abortion ratio is great. The report on the 2004 folloup study stated:

"Nearly one half of the 6.3 million pregnacies occurring annually in the United States are unintended, and one half of unintended pregnancies end in abortion. ₈ Emergency contraception (EC) pills, also known as the 'morning after pill,' have the potential to avert an estimated 1.7 million uninteded pregnancies annually, thereby reducing the number of abortions in the U.S. by as much as half." ₉

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Alan Guttmacher Institute data, released 1999-JAN.
2. S.K. Henshaw, et al., "The incidence of abortion worldwide." International Family Planning Perspectives, 1999;25(suppl): S30--S37. (Cited in Ref. 1)
3. "Therapeutic abortions, 1996 and 1997," The Daily Statistics Canada. Ottawa: Minister of Industry, (2000). (Cited in Ref. 6)
4. S.W. McElroy & K.A. Moore, "Trends over time in teenage pregnancy and childbearing: the critical changes." In: R.A. Maynard RA, Ed., "Kids having kids: economic costs and social consequences of teen pregnancy," Urban Institute Press, 1997: 23--53. (Cited in Ref. 6)
5. Julie Severens Lyons, "Law makes morning-after pill available without prescription: Pharmacies will be able to dispense emergency contraceptives," The Mercury News, 2001-OCT-16, was at: http://www0.mercurycenter.com/
6. "Knowledge of emergency contraception among women aged 18 to 44 in California." American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Volume 191, Issue 1, July 2004, Pages 150-156.
7. Diana G. Foster, et al,. "Trends in knowledge of emergency contraception among women in California, 1999-2004," Womens Health Issues, 17 (2007). Pages 22-28, at: http://www.go2ec.org/
8. S. Henshar, "Unintended pregnancy in the United States," Family Planning Perspectives, 30, Pages 24-29.
9. R. Jones, et al., "Contraceptive use among U.S. women having abortions, 2000-2001," Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 34, Pages 294-303.

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