This method of preventing unintended pregnancy should be as well known as other methods and presented as an option for women to consider if they want to avoid becoming pregnant. By promoting awareness about emergency contraception among the general public, and making it widely available through medical settings, it's estimated that we could reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, and the number of abortions performed, by almost half. Information about emergency contraception must become more widespread if the number of unintended pregnancies is to be reduced. School health educators can impact the problem by becoming educated themselves, requesting information to help educate teens through resources listed further on in this article, or by phoning their local family planning clinics or health departments. Health educators may also choose to educate families, parents of teens and other adults who are equally interested in reducing the risk of pregnancy and the need for abortion.
Emergency contraception is also cost-effective.
It helps reduce medical care costs associated with pregnancy, birth, and spontaneous or induced abortion. Besides these social and medical costs, there are considerable emotional costs paid by women who fear an unwanted pregnancy. While millions of women each year experience gut-wrenching fear and anxiety over a broken condom, missed birth control pills, or unprotected sex, only a small percentage know about this contraceptive method which could give these women a second chance to prevent an unintended pregnancy. This is a 24-hour automated hotline established in 1995 by the Reproductive Health Technologies Project and the Office of Population Research at Princeton University to provide information and physician referrals. It operates in English and Spanish.