Emergency Contraceptive Pills .................................................... 45

Help protect against: y Risks of pregnancy y Cancer of the lining of the uterus (endometrial cancer) y Cancer of the ovary y Symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease May help protect against: y Ovarian cysts y Iron-deficiency anemia Reduce: y Menstrual cramps y Menstrual bleeding problems y Ovulation pain y Excess hair on face or body y Symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (irregular bleeding, acne, excess hair on face or body) y Symptoms of endometriosis (pelvic pain, irregular bleeding) Very rare: y Blood clot in deep veins of legs or lungs (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) Extremely rare: y Stroke y Heart attack

See also Facts About Combined Oral Contraceptives and Cancer, p. 4.

Correcting Misunderstandings (see also Questions and Answers, p. 22) Combined oral contraceptives: y Do not build up in a woman’s body. Women do not need a “rest” from taking COCs. y Must be taken every day, whether or not a woman has sex that day. y Do not make women infertile. y Do not cause birth defects or multiple births. y Do not change women’s sexual behavior. y Do not collect in the stomach. Instead, the pill dissolves each day. y Do not disrupt an existing pregnancy.