摘要Objective To investigate and estimate the proportion of the induced abortion that could have been prevented by using emergency contraception in Shanghai Method Structured interviews were conducted in 606 women (413 married and 193unmarried) aged 18-49 years, who were attending three health care centers in Shanghai for termination of first trimester pregnancy.Results A total of 98.2% of the pregnancies were unwanted, and 63.7% of the women recognized that they were at risk of pregnancy soon after the intercourse. It is estimated that 52.2% of the induced abortion could have been prevented if the women had used levonorgestrel-only emergency contraception. Only 28.5% of the respondents were aware of emergency contraception. The most important sources of information about emergency contraception identified by respondents were books/newspapers/periodicals (38.2%), and relatives/friends (30.6%). Family planning health education on emergency contraception was noted by 28.9% of married women but only by 5.8% of unmarried women. A portion of 85.5% of all respondents reported they would be willing to use emergency contraception when needed. Those more willing to use emergency contraception included younger, better educated, and unmarried women experiencing their first pregnancy. Women preferred drugstores (60.1%) than hospitals (30.2%)for obtaining emergency contraception.Conclusion Women's needs for emergency contraception were enormous. Promotion of emergency contraception by providing information and improving service could have a substantial impact on reducing the rate of induced abortion in Shanghai.