for women forcibly displaced by conflict, access to emergency contraception (EC) is not only a right, but also a critical need that can help to maintain and improve their reproductive health. Refugee and IDP women who are not granted access to EC are deprived of their right to reproductive health, as they may be forced to experience an unwanted pregnancy and may, as a result, suffer or die from childbirth or abortion complications.

While maternal mortality is a common cause of death among women living in resourcepoor settings, the stressful living conditions of displaced women make delivering a child even more difficult and life threatening. By offering a “second chance” to those whose regular contraceptive method has failed, EC provides a woman or adolescent girl with the opportunity to avoid an unplanned or forced pregnancy and can reduce her risk of death or illness due to complications from childbirth or unsafe abortion.

This guide is intended to help clinicians incorporate the provision of Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs) in their practices, whether working in clinic settings or in private practice. Addressing in advance a few critical management issues will greatly assist in easily integrating ECPs into routine practice. It is our hope that this guide will support practitioners who have elected to make this important option available to clients.