Women's Health Tips, Pregnancy, Women’s Health Care, Pregnancy Care, Parenting » Emergency Contraception

Myths about Emergency Contraceptives

bharti — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:43:02 +0000

There are still lots of misconceptions flying around about emergency Contraception. Many people are still confused about how emergency Contraception works and how it should be used. Here are some myths and truths about Contraception to help you understand the facts.

Myth: EC causes birth defects
EC does not increase the risk for birth defects. EC does not harm an established pregnancy. It will not harm your developing baby even if you don’t realize you are pregnant and have taken EC. This may be because you might have taken EC long before the organs would start to develop, making it impossible for EC to lead to birth defects.

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Getting Pregnant after Emergency Contraceptives

bharti — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:39:15 +0000

What are your chances of getting pregnant after ECP?
Emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) can only reduce your chance of getting pregnant by 75%. ECP works by preventing a pregnancy before it happens. The sooner ECPs are taken after unprotected sex, the more effective they are in preventing pregnancy. It is not effective if implantation, i.e., when a fertilized egg has attached itself to the wall of the womb has already occurred. So ECP will not work if a woman is already pregnant. It will also not cause an Abortion. Since it is not as effective as other regular Contraception methods, you may want to consider taking a pregnancy test or consult your doctor if you do not get your periods within 21 days after taking ECP.

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Side Effects of Emergency Contraceptives

bharti — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:36:34 +0000

Side effects associated with Emergency Contraceptive Pills
Taking emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) has not been shown to cause any long-term health problems. However, it may cause side effects in some women. Any side effects you experience after taking ECP will normally go away quickly. Progestin-only pills are less severe than symptoms experienced with Estrogen and Progestin containing pills. Common side effects associated with ECP include:

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Rational Use of Emergency Contraceptives

bharti — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:34:29 +0000

How effective is emergency contraception? The effectiveness of emergency Contraception (EC) depends on which kind of EC you use and how quickly you take it after unprotected sexual intercourse. Studies indicate that emergency contraceptive pills are 75% effective in preventing pregnancies if taken within the first 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. Emergency Contraception pills are most effective when used as soon as possible after having unprotected sex.

The term “morning after pill” can be somewhat misleading as the pill should be ideally taken immediately after the intercourse instead of waiting for the next morning.

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How Emergency Contraceptives Work

bharti — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:30:40 +0000

The precise mode of action of ECs is not known. It is understood that these prevent pregnancy by:

Keeping the egg from leaving the Ovary
Keeping the Sperm from meeting the egg
Keeping the fertilized egg from attaching to the Uterus.

If you are already pregnant, emergency Contraception will NOT work.

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Types of Emergency Contraceptives

bharti — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:27:32 +0000

There are 2 most widely accepted methods of emergency Contraception (EC).

Contraceptive pills and
Postcoital insertion of intrauterine device (IUD)

With the first, you take special doses of birth control pills. With the other, an intrauterine device (also called an IUD) is placed in your Uterus (or womb).

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Basics of Emergency Contraception

bharti — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:24:14 +0000

There are millions of unplanned, and often unwanted, pregnancies every year despite the availability of highly effective methods of Contraception or due to Contraception failure.

Unplanned pregnancy can occur with all age groups.

Although effective Contraception is readily available, there are times when a safe and emergency method for birth control is required, especially in situations when a condom breaks or a woman forgets to take her birth control pills or if a diaphragm or cervical cap slips out of place during intercourse and after a sexual assault.

When contraceptive methods fail or don’t get used, there is still hope.

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