WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Dr. Zainab Abdul Jabbar Mohialden*

ABSTRACT

Background: Emergency contraception is a critical component of reproductive health services, especially in emergency situations where women present after unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure. The effectiveness of emergency contraception is largely time-dependent, with the best outcomes obtained when provided within the first 24 hours of exposure. Objectives: To to assess the clinical features, indications, timing of presentation, and complication rates associated with emergency contraceptive usage among married women who presented to Azadi Teaching Hospital. Methods: This a prospective observational study conducted in the emergency department of Azadi Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk during the period from January 2025 to December 2025. A total of 50 married female patients who requested emergency contraception were enrolled. The study included patients who presented within 120 hours of unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure and patient with willingness to participate in the study. While patients with known pregnancy at the time of presentation or those with hypersensitivity to levonorgestrel or having history of chronic liver disease or active thromboembolic disorders and use of hormonal contraception within the previous 7 days were excluded from the study. Results: The study includes 50 married women with a mean age of 28.3 ± 6.1 years (range: 18-43 years). Twenty-nine patients (58%) were from urban areas, whereas 21 patients (42%) were from rural areas. The majority were multiparous (62%), whereas 38% were primiparous. The majority of patients (56%) presented within 2 hours, while (28%) of the study participants presented within 24-72 hours and just (16%) of them presented after 72-120 hours. Furthermore, (44%) of the study participants presented due to missed pills, to less extent (36%) due to unprotective sexual intercourse. Only 20% presented due to irregular use of traditional contraceptive methods. It’s evident that nausea was reported by 11 (22%) patients, followed by lower abdominal pain in 9 (18%) patients, menstrual irregularity in 8 (16%) patients, headache or dizziness in 6 (12%) patients and vomiting in 5 (10%) patients. Two individuals (4%) were confirmed pregnant during follow-up urine pregnancy testing. Both individuals were diagnosed more than 72 hours after unprotected intercourse and had a history of intermittent contraceptive use. During the study period, no serious adverse effect was reported, including thromboembolic events, allergic responses, or maternal fatalities. Conclusion: Emergency contraception was most commonly used by young reproductive-age women, due to missed oral contraceptive pills and unprotected intercourse, with early presentation contributing to a low pregnancy rate. The drug was generally safe and well tolerated, with very minor and self-limiting side effects noted.

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