A total of 96 delegates representing Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the conference. Eleven of the 14 SADC member-states were represented. The East African community was not included in this survey. All respondents demonstrated knowledge of EC, its purpose and mode of action. Ninety-four percent stated that EC should be used within two to three days of unprotected sex.
Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse.
The pills, which are specific doses of combined oral contraceptives, are the most common method. EC prevents pregnancy. It is not an abortifacient. EC works in one of three ways. If the woman is already pregnant from a previous act of intercourse, emergency contraception will not work.