According to the English oxford living dictionary, contraceptives are defined as artificial methods or techniques used to protect pregnancy as a consequence of sexual intercourse.
In the case of Secretary of Health and Human services v Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. , contraceptives were defined as “that which prevents implantation of a fertilized egg- in other words, it prevents a pregnancy from taking place.
Furthermore, Emergency Contraception (EC) refers to a drug or device that is used after intercourse but before pregnancy, to prevent pregnancy from occurring.