The emergency department gynaecologist and emergency postcoital contraception.

The emergency department gynaecologist is often faced with requests for emergency postcoital contraception. The physician on duty is usually very busy and does not always have enough time to perform a complete evaluation of the woman's state of health. The emergency gynaecologist who prescribes postcoital contraception also has a number of other problems to cope with in regard to the pharmacological preparations on the market, the efficacy of various methods, the monitoring of side-effects which are not, always, tolerated by all patients and the outcome of his therapeutic prescription. All these aspects should be emphasized in the "first aid" counselling offered to the patients. In conclusion, we consider that any women who decides to use postcoital contraception should have the right to receive assistance of guaranteed quality throughout the period that elapses between taking the drug and the subsequent menstrual cycle. This is not strictly guaranteed by an emergency gynaecological service.