EMERGENCY Contraceptives

EMERGENCY Contraceptives

“The Morning After Pill”

The morning after pill is a type of emergency contraceptive. This is a type of birth control that can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. The pill contains 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel, which is used in lower doses in many birth control pills.

How Does the “Morning After Pill Work?”

The emergency contraceptive or the morning after pill has three modes of action, that is, it can work in one of three ways:

1. The normal menstrual cycle is altered, delaying ovulation
2. Ovulation is inhibited, meaning the egg will not be released from the ovary
3. It can irritate the lining of the uterus or endometrium so as to inhibit implantation

 

How Effective Is the “Morning After Pill”

If you take it within 72 hours of unprotected sex, the risk of pregnancy is reduced up to 89%, but if taken within 24 hours, it is about 95% effective.

But you should know that the morning after pill is NOT as effective as regular contraception and therefore, it should not be taken as your main form of birth control. Additionally, it does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

Health Risk Associated with the use of the “Morning After Pill”

There are both short-term and long-term side effects of taking the Morning After Pill.

Short-term side effects may include:

1.     Nausea and vomiting

2.     Irregular and unpredictable menstrual periods

3.     Breast tenderness

4.     Blood clots

Long-term side effects may include:

1.     Ectopic pregnancy which occurs when the fertilized egg implants in the fallopian tube rather than in the womb. The common side-effects of the 'morning-after pill' (nausea and abdominal pain) are also the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy and could therefore mask the presence of this potentially life-threatening condition.

2.     Infertility which can be caused by certain STDs. It is important to remember that the Morning After Pill does not protect you from any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

3.     While there are no long-term studies to show whether women will be permanently damaged by the Morning After Pill, women who take the Morning After Pill do put themselves at risk for such diseases as cancer from these chemicals being given in such high doses.

4.     There is concern that the very high dose of hormone taken in the 'morning-after' pill might 'kick-start' cervical cancer if a woman is already infected with human papilloma virus.

Abuse of the “Morning After Pill”

At home and abroad, the abortion, family planning, and population control groups which seek to promote the morning after pill ignore the scientifically-proven risks of levonorgestrel, which is the active ingredient of the morning after pill.
These well-documented adverse side effects include:

·         significant weight gain

·         depression

·         ovarian cyst enlargement

·         gallbladder disease

·         high blood pressure

·         respiratory disorders

·         increased risk of ectopic pregnancy and death

These risks listed above are multiplied with increased, frequent, and repeated use and therefore there should warnings advising women and physicians to limit usage, or to not use it at all.

Consult your physician or pharmacist for further information about the morning after pill.