What to Know Before Using the Morning-After Pill?

What Is Contraception?

Contraception is a process of preventing pregnancy. In simple terms, it is controlling the birth. The contraceptive options help in preventing the fusion of the egg with the sperm. In some situations, the production of the egg from the woman is also stopped.

The various contraceptive options in both male and female are:

The contraceptive implant.
Female sterilization.
An intrauterine device.
Vasectomy or male sterilization.
Male and female condoms.
Contraceptive pills.

The easiest and most economical way of contraception is condoms and pills.

What Is the Morning Pill?

Morning-after pills (emergency contraceptive pills) are hormonal methods of preventing pregnancy after intercourse has happened. It has to be taken within 72 hours of having unprotected intercourse, or if you missed taking the regular contraceptive pill or faced an issue of condom break. The morning-after pill is usually meant for emergency situations like unplanned sex, breakage of condoms, or sexual assault to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. It is not to be used as the regular method of contraception. Frequent use comes with its own side-effects. So, its repeated use in a single menstrual cycle should be avoided.
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In the true sense, emergency contraception is not meant for contraception. Rather it is an interception. It prevents the pregnancy, which may happen by interrupting the pregnancy process, whereas contraception does not allow the pregnancy to happen by preventing the fertilization process itself.

The barrier method (condoms) also prevents the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Emergency contraception has neither of these benefits and, if taken repeatedly, may harm the normal hormonal rhythm and menstrual pattern of a woman.

Can Morning Pills Fail to Work?

Yes, there are certain situations where morning pills fail to work. The reason for the failure of the morning pill could be the following.

A late consumption of morning pills after unprotected sex.
Consumption of other medication along with the morning pills. This can be highly dangerous as the pills might negatively interact with the other drugs. It is necessary for you to consult the doctor before using morning pills, especially if you are under any other regular medication.
If vomiting happens within two or three hours after consumption, then this might indicate that the pills are not accepted well by the consumer's body. This might lead to the failure of contraception.

If the pills fail to work, then they might end up in pregnancy. However, pregnancy does not happen in all the failure circumstances. The occurrence of positive pregnancy depends on ovulation and fertility state.

What Is the Composition of Emergency Contraception Pills?

Emergency contraception pills contain Levonorgestrel 1.5 mg. It can be taken either in a single tablet or in two tablets. It has to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse for best results. It is a very effective medicine if taken within the scheduled time period. If the patient vomits within half an hour of its intake, the same dose has to be repeated. If not, repetition of the dosage is not necessary. It is available in the market under various trade names and is easily available over-the-counter.

After taking the pill, if the person still misses her period, she should take a pregnancy test as early as possible to detect unplanned pregnancy.

What Are the Side Effects of Emergency Contraception Pills?

The side effects are not very severe. The common side effects are:

Vomiting.
Nausea.
Light-headedness.
Breast tenderness.
Abdominal cramps.
Menstrual irregularities.

Why Do Menstrual Irregularities Happen?

Menstrual irregularities are very common. The irregularities include early period, delayed period, and abnormal vaginal bleeding for a longer period of time than normal. When these medications are consumed regularly, the normal hormonal balance of the individual is disturbed. With the usage of contraceptive pills, it is not possible to avoid the hormonal imbalance because that is how contraception happens. If the vaginal bleeding happens for an additional two days after the usage of morning pills, it is usually considered normal. If the vaginal bleeding prolongs even after two days, then it is necessary to contact the health care provider as soon as possible.

What Are the Precautionary Measures to Be Followed to Overcome the Side Effects?

If pregnancy is not in the plan, a regular method of contraception should be chosen. The use of emergency contraception should be reserved for real 'emergencies.' The other methods of emergency contraception are high doses of oral medications combined with contraceptive pills and intrauterine contraceptive devices.

What Is the Best Alternative for Morning Pills?

There are many methods for contraception. As far as emergency contraception is considered, the best alternative for morning pills is the copper intrauterine device. It is about 99% effective in its contraception process. It is necessary to use the copper intrauterine device within five days of unprotected sex. The main advantage of the copper intrauterine device is that it provides protection for up to ten years. The other benefits of the copper intrauterine device are:

It can be easily removed.
It can be used by breastfeeding mothers.
After removal, fertility can be restored.
Does not involve physiological functioning and hormonal balance.

Side Effects:

Even though there are notable advantages associated with the copper intrauterine device, there are few side effects associated with them.

Risk of ectopic pregnancy.
Copper might be acceptable to the body of all people.
People might experience painful cramps in the initial days of usage.
The device might get misplaced.
Frequent bleeding or spotting.
It won't protect against sexually transmitted infections.

For effective functioning, it is necessary to place the device in a proper position. The copper intrauterine device is mostly attached with a nylon thread. If you suspect whether the copper intrauterine device is in place, this thread would be helpful.