APStracts 5:0006S, 1998.

ENDOCRINE FUNCTION AND EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION: PHYSIOLOGY AND SOCIETY Margaret Anderson Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063

APStracts 5:0006S, 1998.

ABSTRACT
Relating emergency contraception, commonly referred to as "the morning after pill," to the menstrual cycle can be used both to teach endocrine function and to show how physiology relates to the world outside the undergraduate classroom. The menstrual cycle is an excellent topic for teaching many features about the physiology of the human endocrine system. Relating emergency contraception to the menstrual cycle makes this topic relevant to both male and female students, provides opportunities for discussions that require the students' understanding of endocrine functions, and illustrates how physiology is connected to social, economic and political issues. The overview of emergency contraception and literature survey provided here are meant to be adapted for use in a variety of teaching contexts. The depth of coverage and the extent of consideration of issues beyond physiology would depend on many factors including the level of the course and the size of enrollment.

Received  1997; accepted in final form  1998.
APS Manuscript Number S24-7.
Article publication pending Advances in Physiology Education.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1998 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 24 April 1998