Since the 1970′s, rape victims have often been immedi­ately given several ordinary birth control pills to avoid pregnancy. This worked most of the time and became known as the “morning after pill”. Today, there is a specifically formu­lated “pill”, a high dose of a synthetic hormone that can be used by women within 72 hours after unpro­tected sex to pre­vent preg­nancy. EC is about 75% successful in preventing a pregnancy that would have occurred otherwise.