There has been a lot of public confusion surrounding emergency contraceptives and abortion pills. Because of misinformation, many people think they are the same. They’re not.
Emergency contraception significantly reduces the risk of an unwanted pregnancy before it happens, much like routine birth control. (However, emergency birth control shouldn’t be used in place of a routine birth control method as it’s more expensive and comes with more side effects.)
Dr. Gaither, an ob-gyn and maternal fetal medicine specialist, is director of perinatal services at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, a member of NYC Health + Hospitals System in Bronx, New York.
References
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2020). ACOG bulletin: Medication abortion up to 70 days of gestation.
Office on Women’s Health. (2023). Emergency contraception.
Planned Parenthood. (2016). The difference between the morning-after pill and the abortion pill.
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