There are a variety of birth control methods available separately for men and women. People choose and use the most suitable one for them among many different options such as monthly contraceptive injections, spirals, birth control pills, condoms and spermicide.
However, sometimes there may be doubts about whether full protection is provided or not. For example, condom accidents may occur, or the birth control pill may be forgotten. In such special cases, an emergency method of protection is needed. At this point, the first solution that comes to mind is the morning-after pill.
We have answered all the questions about the morning-after pill for you.
What Is the Morning-After Pill?
The morning-after pill is used by women and contains a high amount of the hormone progesterone. It is an emergency contraception method used immediately after sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy in case of unprotected sexual intercourse.
What Does the Morning After Pill Do?
Many women may not have enough information about the morning-after pills used in emergencies. The working principle of morning-after pills preventing pregnancy can be explained as follows:
- It delays the ovulation time and prevents the release of mature egg cells from the tubes.
- It prevents fertilisation. (Since ovulation is delayed, the sperm cell cannot meet the egg cell.)
- It prevents the thickening of the inner tissue of the uterus by disrupting its structure and prevents the egg from attaching to the uterus even if the egg is fertilised.
What Is the Contraception Rate of Morning-After Pills?
The morning-after pills are drugs that provide high success with correct use. It can provide 75% protection when taken within the first 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse. This rate is higher the earlier the pill is taken. Pills taken within the first 12 hours after intercourse provide up to 98% protection. For this reason, the golden rule in terms of reliability is to take the morning-after pill without losing time.
How to Use the Morning-After Pill?
The effect of these pills is related to the correct use as well as the immediate use. Since these drugs can be sold without a prescription, they can be easily obtained and taken. Therefore, it is necessary to know well how and when to take the morning-after pill.
- Pills should be taken within the first 24 hours after sexual intercourse in cases where no birth control method is used or there is a contraceptive accident during intercourse. (The first 12 hours are much more important.)
- It is taken orally in the form of 1 or 2 doses (single or double tablet) according to the brand of the drug.
- It can be taken at any time of the day.
- It does not have to be taken with a rule such as before, after or during a meal.
- If vomiting occurs within 3 hours after taking the drug, it should be taken again.
What Is the Effect of the Pill on the Current Pregnancy?
Morning-after pills are not a solution for women who are not planning a pregnancy but suspect that they are pregnant. If you are pregnant or if you think you are pregnant, you cannot miscarry with the morning-after pill. This pill is intended to prevent pregnancy by acting on ovulation. An egg that has been fertilised and has started to develop by attaching to the uterus has no effect on it. In short, it cannot be used for terminating a pregnancy.
In Which Situations Can Morning-After Pill Be Used?
When it is desired to prevent an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, the rapid effect of the morning-after pill can be used.
The morning-after pill is used in the following cases:
- If sexual intercourse takes place without protection,
- If the condom breaks during sexual intercourse,
- If the routine use of the birth control pill is forgotten,
- If the reliability of the birth control method is doubted,
- If the spiral comes out,
- After rape cases.
However, the most important point to note at this stage is that this method should not be used constantly, and it should not turn into a habit. The morning-after pills can be used once a month and up to three times a year. Please note that more of them can cause serious side effects.
Side Effects of the Morning After Pill
Morning-after pills contain high levels of progesterone or oestrogen hormone. While their high hormone levels help prevent unplanned pregnancies, they can also cause some side effects in the body. In particular, the use of tablets containing the hormone oestrogen can lead to more intense side effects.
Side effects of the morning-after pill can be listed as follows:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Stomachache
- Severe headache
- Tenderness in the breasts
- Pain in the uterus
- Severe menstrual bleeding
- Irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting
- Menstrual delay
More than one or long-term use of drugs per month may also cause more serious problems in the endocrine system and, accordingly, in other organs, such as long-term ovulation problems and menstrual irregularities, cardiovascular diseases or some types of cancer.
Morning-After Pill and Breastfeeding
For women who have just given birth and are breastfeeding, the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy can be pretty worrying. It is often difficult for breastfeeding mothers to find a suitable contraceptive method for their new life. For this reason, it is often wondered whether breastfeeding women can use the morning-after pill.
Women can use the morning-after pill while breastfeeding. However, after the use of the drug, breastfeeding should be interrupted for a minimum of 8 hours and a maximum of 1 week. There is a possibility that the active ingredients of the drug can pass to the baby through breast milk. This period varies according to the active ingredient of the drug taken.
Is the Morning-After Pill a Birth Control Method?
Although the morning-after pill is referred to as an emergency contraceptive method, it is not actually a birth control method. Birth control methods are ways of protection that provide long-term use to the person at the times and intervals recommended by a doctor. However, the same is not true for these drugs. It is not the right behaviour to constantly use the morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy.
Continuous use of morning-after pills may result in serious damage to the hormonal system of the body and adversely affect reproductive health in women. For this reason, women with an active sexual life should learn the appropriate contraception methods which suit them best. You should not be deceived by the ease of use and the morning-after pill should not be used unless it is necessary.
If you have further questions, you may share your experiences as a comment.
Have a nice and healthy day!
