he insertion of a copper intrauterine contraceptive device within 5 days of unprotected intercourse (Skolnick, 1997). The intrauterine device (IUD) causes an inflammatory response, making it difficult for implantation to occur on the endometrium (Klima, 1998). For thousands of years, human beings have been willing to take the risk of pregnancy while having sexual intercourse to later find themselves searching for a remedy after the fact. Remedies once believed to aid in achieving postcoital contraception include herb douches, sneezing, hopping, jumping, and dancing. These remedies date back to 1500 B. C. (Morgan and Deneris, 1997). In the 1920's scientists found that estrogenic ovarian extracts could prevent pregnancy in mammals (Klima, 1998). This lead to a solution for veterinarians when horses and dogs mated accidentally. In the 1960's clinical use of postcoital estrogen alone was first documented as a treatment for victims of sexual assault (Morgan and Deneris, 1997). In the 1970's, a Canadian physician named Yuzpe began to study the combination of ethinyl estradiol with a progestin. This became known as the "Yuzpe regimen" and is accepted as the gold standard in emergency contraception (Morgan and Deneris, 1997).The Yuzpe method of emergency contraception is often considered the best regimen because of its lower incidence of side effects as compared to estrogen (Morgan and Deneris, 1997). Although the side effects of ECP's are not serious, they may effect whether a client will be able to complete the regimen which could decrease the effectiveness of the method (Klima, 1998). Nausea is the most common side effect associated with emergency contraceptive use and occurs in 50-70% of women who use the method. In addition, approximately 25% of women will experience vomiting (Klima, 1998). Antiemetics may be given to reduce the nausea and vomiting. Breast tenderness, irregular bleeding, and headaches may also occur. These si...
