Emergency Contraception: To the Editor.—

Abstract

To the Editor .— I was delighted to see the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on emergency contraception (EC) in the October issue of Pediatrics .1 I also applaud the publication of the fact sheet for parents and adolescents and the speaking points for pediatricians in the members-only section of the www.aap.org Web site. The policy statement joins those of other professional organizations dedicated to the reproductive health of adolescents such as the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Society for Adolescent Medicine, who likewise support adolescents' over-the-counter access to EC. This policy statement provides important information about EC to our membership and, in doing so, legitimizes and standardizes the expectation that pediatricians routinely counsel about and prescribe EC to adolescents. I would like to commend the Committee on Adolescence for highlighting the following in their policy statement: 1. Although approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, EC is effective up to 120 hours (or 5 days) after unprotected intercourse. 2. Pills with norethindrone (not just those with norgestrel and levonorgestrel) can be used for EC. 3. Plan B is the EC regimen of choice because of its higher efficacy and less adverse effects compared with combination methods of EC. 4. Plan B should be prescribed as 2 tablets in a single dose instead of splitting the …