Glossary of Terms Related to Emergency Contraception
The following terms include a general guide to medical terminology related to emergency contraception (EC). Words' meanings may vary in different contexts, but in this glossary are related to EC.
Abortion: Abortion means the end of a pregnancy before the fetus has developed enough to be expected to live, if born. Abortion can be spontaneous (occurring without or despite human efforts) or induced (occurring deliberately, as the result of human action to end the pregnancy).
Antiprogesterone: This drug interferes with the body's use of progesterone, a critical hormone for establishing and maintaining a pregnancy. So, antiprogesterones disrupt the body's ability to establish and/or maintain a pregnancy.
Barrier method: Barrier methods prevent pregnancy by creating an actual, physical barrier between the sperm and the egg, or prevent some sexually transmitted infections by preventing the exchange of body fluids during sexual activity. Barrier methods to prevent pregnancy include the condom, intrauterine device (IUD), diaphragm, cervical cap, and shield. Condoms are the only current barrier method for preventing sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
Birth defects: These are health conditions (physical or biochemical) that develop in the fetus as pregnancy progresses. Also known as congenital birth defects because the baby is born with them, they can be either minor or life-threatening. Birth defects can be caused by 1) naturally occurring mutations in the genes, 2) genes inherited by the baby from one of its biological parents, or 3) environmental conditions that affect the pregnancy (such as the pregnant woman's consumption of alcohol or her exposure to lead).
Conception: The moment when the sperm enters the ovum (egg), fertilizing it, and forming a viable zygote (a healthy fertilized egg).
Condom: Condoms are latex or polyurethane barrier methods of protection against an exchange of body fluids during sexual intercourse. Male condoms cover the penis; female condoms cover the vagina and much of the vulva.
Contraceptive failure: When a primary method of contraception fails, or is thought to have failed, this is called contraceptive failure. For example, a condom breaks or slips off during sexual intercourse or a woman forgets to take one or more oral of her contraceptive pills. Even with perfect use, no contraceptive is absolutely 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. If a woman experiences pregnancy while using contraception—even with perfect use—this, too, is called contraceptive failure.
Contraindication: Any condition which renders some particular line of treatment ineffective, improper, or undesirable. The word is most often used for health conditions that could be made worse by the treatment. For example, many drugs are contraindicated for use by people with a heart condition or an impaired immune system. For emergency contraception, pregnancy is the primary contraindication—only because EC is ineffective in preventing an established pregnancy.
Dating violence: This means that one person in a dating relationship hits, harms, verbally assaults, or threatens the other person in the relationship. Dating violence also includes coercion to perform or participate in sexual activities. Dating violence is a sign of a very unhealthy relationship. If you are in such a relationship, get help and get out of the relationship.
Dental dam: This is a square of latex that can be used as a barrier method of protection for oral sex, usually for "going down" on a female since male condoms can be used for "going down" on a male. Dental dams are available in most family planning clinics and in some drug stores or can be cut from plastic wrap or a condom.
Ectopic pregnancy: When a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus (in the fallopian tube or, more rarely, in the ovary, cervix, or abdomen), it is called an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition for the woman. It is a deadly condition for the embryo, since implanted in the wrong location, the embryo cannot develop to full-term. Medical intervention is usually necessary to end an ectopic pregnancy and to save the woman's health and life.
Embryo: The embryo is the stage of human development extending from after implantation (about two weeks after fertilization) until the end of the seventh or eighth week of pregnancy, when the developing human is called a fetus.
Estrogen: This is a female sex hormone that is naturally produced by the body.
Fetus: When the developing embryo shows the major physical characteristics of humans—characteristics such as arms, legs, hands, torso, and face—it is called a fetus. The fetus is the human being developing in the uterus after the embryo stage (after about the eighth week of life).
Food & Drug Administration: The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is the federal agency within the Department of Health & Human Services, established to oversee and regulate food and health products for safety and efficacy. FDA oversight includes decisions as to whether a particular health care product can be used by humans or animals, sold over-the-counter, or dispensed with a prescription from an authorized medical professional.
Gynecologists: The gynecologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the female reproductive and sexual health system. Gynecologists deal with issues such as infertility and pregnancy prevention as well as with disorders and diseases of the female reproductive system. Gynecologists perform surgeries related to the female reproductive system and are also usually obstetricians, providing medical care throughout pregnancy and birth.
Implantation: Implantation signals the beginning of a pregnancy. The process normally occurs when the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. Sometimes, however, the fertilized egg can implant in other locations that are inappropriate for sustaining the developing embryo. (See ectopic pregnancy.)
Obstetricians: The obstetrician is a medical doctor who specializes in pregnancy and childbirth. As such, the obstetrician is first the woman's doctor and, second, the doctor for the developing fetus. After birth, a different doctor, usually a pediatrician, steps in to supervise the newborn infant's medical care. Most obstetricians are also gynecologists.
Oral contraceptives: Oral contraceptives, also known as birth control pills, are prescribed in a regular regimen to provide continuing protection against conception. Oral contraceptives contain estrogen and progestin and come in several different brands and dosages. In the United States, oral contraceptives are available only by prescription. Oral contraceptives, used differently, are also emergency contraception.
Ovaries: The ovaries are the reproductive glands of the female body in which eggs develop and from which the prepared egg is released. Females normally have two ovaries, each connected by a fallopian tube to the uterus.
Palpation: Palpation means physically examining, by touch, various parts of the body. Using palpation, health care professionals check the texture, consistency, size, and location of a woman's uterus and ovaries.
Pelvic exam: A pelvic exam is a physical examination of a woman's reproductive organs. The pelvic examination usually includes a Pap smear, to test for changes to the cervix that could signal cancer, as well as palpation of the ovaries and the uterus. Experts recommend that all sexually active women and all women ages 18 and older have a pelvic exam once a year.
Pelvic inflammatory disease: This disease, also known as PID, is an inflammation, usually an infection, of the female reproductive organs—the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. PID is normally very painful and can be caused by sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea and chlamydia. PID can become chronic and can cause infertility (the inability to conceive and/or bear a child). When severe PID results in septicemia (blood poisoning), the woman needs a hysterectomy to avoid dying.
Plan B®: Plan B® is the only product specifically packaged and sold as EC that is currently available in the United States, although many brands of EC are available in other countries. Plan B® is a progestin-only EC, produced by Barr Laboratories, and currently available by prescription.
Postcoital: This is a phrase meaning "after coitus" (after penile-vaginal sexual intercourse).
Pregnancy: Pregnancy is a normal, natural condition in females of carrying live young within the female's body until the baby is mature enough to breathe, eat, and eliminate on its own (outside the mother's body). Pregnancy lasts from implantation until the body expels the fetus at birth. Pregnancy can also end when the body expels the embryo (induced or spontaneous abortion) or fetus (miscarriage) before it can survive on its own.
Progesterone: Progesterones are steroid hormones, naturally produced by the body to prepare the uterus for implantation and for pregnancy.
Progestin: Progestins are synthetically produced (man-made) forms of progesterone. Progestins are components of many types of oral contraceptives, including EC; they work to disrupt ovulation, fertilization, and/or implantation.
Regimen: A regimen is a regular schedule for taking medicines or for diet and/or exercise. To prevent pregnancy, it is important to carefully follow the regimen prescribed for oral contraceptives or for EC.
Sexual assault: Sexual assault includes any unwanted or forced sexual contact between two people. Sexual assault occurs when one person forces, coerces, or threatens another person into accepting or participating in any sexual contact. Kissing, fondling, genital contact, or sexual intercourse can constitute sexual assault if either of the two people is unwilling to participate or unable to refuse, due to age, intoxication, unconsciousness, or fear. Rape is a very serious form of sexual assault. Any form of sexual assault can result in arrest and imprisonment.
Sexually transmitted infections: These infections are also known as STIs, sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. STIs are bacterial or viral infections that are passed from one person to another through sexual contact. Major viral STIs include HIV, herpes, and genital warts (HPV); major bacterial STIs include syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis.
Unprotected sex: This is a term for when partners do not use a method to protect against pregnancy; when partners do not use a method to protect against sexually transmitted infections; or when their chosen method fails to protect them during sex (vaginal, oral, or anal).
Uterus: The uterus (or womb) is the organ in the female body within which the fertilized egg implants itself. The embryo develops within the uterus, receiving everything needed for its development from the mother's body.
Vaginal bleeding: As a contraindication for EC, vaginal bleeding refers to prolonged, unusual, or untimely bleeding that may signal an underlying condition, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, cancer, or even pregnancy. In this context, it does not refer to a woman's regular, normal menstrual flow.
Yuzpe regimen: The Yuzpe regimen is use of specific combinations of regular oral contraceptive pills as emergency contraception. Women have used the Yuzpe regimen since the 1960s to prevent pregnancy.
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Articles & Stories >> How to Get Emergency Contraception :: Myths & Facts :: Glossary :: Bibliography :: Scrambling for Prevention
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More Facts >> The Facts—EC Is a Safe & Effective Option for Teens :: Informational Pamphlet for Teens :: Issues for Health Care Providers & Educators
Related Resources >> Sexual Assault :: Local Clinics and Hotlines
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