Compliance with mandated emergency contraception in New Mexico emergency departments.

Objective: New Mexico enacted a law in 2003 requiring that emergency departments (EDs) offer emergency contraception (EC) to survivors of sexual assault and that both doses be administered in the ED. This investigation sought to examine practices and knowledge of ED providers about EC in the setting of sexual assault.

Methods: We visited hospitals in New Mexico from July 2005 to December 2005 and administered an 18-item questionnaire to three providers-a physician, a nurse, and a clerk-in the ED.