Emergency contraception or the morning after pill is a hormonal treatment administered if another form of birth control has failed, or when no protection was used. There are many resemblances between the morning after pill and the regular hormonal pill since the ingredients are the same. Nevertheless, the concentrations are different, which makes the regular use of the morning after pill a potential health threat.

The morning after pill should be used as soon as possible after you have unprotected sex. Normally it can be used within three or five days after intercourse, but the sooner you act, the better for you. Manufacturers nevertheless warn that the efficiency can be influenced by the moment when you actually administer it. Do not mistake this birth control method for the abortion pill, because this is not the effect it produces. Emergency contraception simply prevents ovulation, and changes the lining of the uterus so that it cannot allow the egg to nest.

The morning after pill has similar side effects with the regular hormonal pill, and the efficiency rate is pretty high. The usual adverse reactions to hormonal treatments may appear nonetheless: nausea, headaches, breast tenderness and spotting. Read the list of instructions carefully and check the side effects in detail for your birth control purpose. Do not take the morning after pill if you suffer from porphyria or some liver disease. The efficiency of the morning after pill could be impaired by other drugs or by some herbal supplements.

Contact the general practitioner right away to have a drug prescription. Don’t wait for a later appointment, and mention it is an emergency. The risk of unwanted pregnancy is higher if you don’t act right away. In some states, you can also buy the morning after pill without prescription. The only downside is the cost, as the prices are a lot higher in pharmacies. Emergency contraception can be accessed freely with certain organizations, but you need to know where to call.

Be aware of the fact that the morning after pill does not offer protection for the rest of the menstrual cycle, and you still have to use some birth control method. Do not use more emergency contraceptives in the same month because of the health risks that hormonal imbalances could lead to. Either abstain from sex or rely on some serious birth control method.

Tags : birth control method, birth control tips, emergency contraceptives, morning after pill
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