The Morning After Pill
Have you hear something called “the morning after pill”? Whether or not, are you now desperate and want to hear about it? Does it sound familiar some of the following situations?
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- You did it last night, and oops! Forgot to wear a condom?
- Contraceptive failure occurred?
- An IUD expulsion?
- Is the diaphragm or cervical cap has been placed improperly or has slipped during intercourse?
- Or you forgot to take the contraception pill and it has already elapsed 12 hours.
When I was younger, one of those days that I really felt in love I had sex with my boyfriend. The unexpected happened; his condom broke, I was afraid to get pregnant, so I decided to take the morning after pill. Fortunately everything was ok, I had my menstruation as usual and I did not have any side effect. I was lucky because I knew nothing about contraception. Now that I'm married, I have learned various methods and I have started to plan my family. However, if you are in a similar situation, do not panic, the emergency pill is a viable method for special cases.Read about other types of birth control:
Aviane | Shot | Patch | IUD |Condoms | Nuva ring | Seasonal | Oral hormones | Natural
What is the morning after pill?
How it works?
What the experts think?
How effective is the EC?
Are there side effects?
What happens with my menstruation cycle?
Can I use the EC as a routine method of contraception?
So what do you think, ready to try?
What is the morning-after pill?
The morning-after pill or emergency contraception (EC) is a contraceptive pill with an over dose of hormones. It has to be taken after intercourse if there are suspicious of a contraception failure, for example a broken condom. Some morning-after pills contain only one hormone, levonorgestrel (Plan B, Plan B One-Step); others use high doses of progesterone and estrogens.How it works?
The morning after pill works in two ways, depending on the time of the woman’s cycle, and how much time has elapsed after intercourse.
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How it works |
The first way it works is to prevent happen ovulation. Once you already had intercourse, it can prevent the egg from being expelled and go down to the fallopian tubes, where fertilization usually occurs, thus preventing spermatozoids, that remained alive within the body of the woman, fertilize the ovum. So basically prevents ovulation.
The second way it works is when the egg has been fertilized, i.e. the egg and the sperm have joined, and it prevents the implant in the uterus.
What the experts think?
Some people believe that after the egg has been fertilized, there is already a pregnancy, and the EC prevents the development process of a new baby, not allowing the implantation, causing an abortion.Nowadays there are conflicting opinions also from several specialists and gynecologists. Some say that the morning after pill is not abortive, since they focus only on the function of preventing ovulation, ignoring the second case, or alternatively, why not consider a fertilized egg before implantation, as a new life. Other people consider the EC as the abortion inducing drug.
Medically, if the EC acts before implantation, is legally considered a form of contraception.
What about a victim of rape? I know that the EC is widely used in hospitals room after a crime.
How effective is the EC?
It is effective within the 72 hours after having unprotected intercourse, with a failure between 0.2% to 3%. According to the manufacturer, the morning after pill is more than 80 percent effective in preventing pregnancy after a single act of unprotected sex.Unwanted pregnancy can be avoided in 85% of cases, if the method of emergency contraception has been used not later than 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. The efficiency is higher if used as soon as possible (more than 95% within the first 24 hours).
Are there side effects?
Side effects may include changes in your period, nausea, lower abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, and dizziness. If your period is more than a week late, you may be pregnant. You should not take the morning-after pill if you are already pregnant.What happens with my menstruation cycle?
Menstruation should follow its normal rhythm. Sometimes it can be advanced or delayed a few days. If you are late more than 5 days is advisable to carry out a pregnancy test. Emergency contraception is not 100% effective and a failure is always possible.Can I use the EC as a routine method of contraception?
Definitely no, it should not be used as a routine for birth control. Remember, the morning after pill contains an overdose of hormones, it flushes your system. Your body will suffer the consequences sooner than later. Emergency contraception is a method for occasional use and under no circumstances can replace the usual means of contraception. So either abstain from sex or use a barrier method like a condom.So what do you think, ready to try?
It is up to you to believe either way, abortion or no abortion . You have your own beliefs.So let’s define the term "pregnancy" as implantation of a fertilized egg in the lining of a woman's uterus, or “pregnancy" as the beginning at fertilization. My recommendation is: the sooner you take the morning-after pill, after intercourse, the better is, since you do not have to worry about to believe whether you have caused an abortion or not.
If you think that you should just let things run their course, that’s fine, or take consequences for your actions, again is up to you and your beliefs.
Then, summing what causes the morning after pill:
- Ovulation is inhibited, means egg will not be released.
- Menstrual cycle is altered by delaying ovulation.
- Fertilized egg is not implanted in the uterus.
Read about other types of birth control:
Aviane | Shot | Patch | IUD |Condoms | Nuva ring | Seasonal | Oral hormones | Natural
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