Talking Emergency Contraception

 Let's talk about Emergency Contraception

I know some of you may have heard of the morning after pill (also called emergency contraception or EC) before and some of you may not know anything about it. My Aunt Lucia just gave me the low down on it and it’s something that everyone (girls AND guys) should know about. 

Emergency contraception (EC) is a type of birth control pill that can be used when a woman is worried about becoming pregnant. Some possible reasons to take EC are because:

⦁ The condom broke or slipped off

⦁ Birth control pills weren’t taken, the patch wasn’t put on, or the vaginal ring wasn’t put in

⦁ The diaphragm, cap or shield slipped out of place

⦁ The penis wasn’t pulled out in time

⦁ Birth control wasn’t used

⦁ Sex was forced

EC can be taken right after unprotected sex (sex when birth control wasn’t used) and up to five days after a pregnancy risk (when you’ve had unprotected sex and could become pregnant) but the sooner it is taken the more likely it is to work.

How Emergency Contraception works

Like birth control pills, EC pills contain artificial hormones to prevent pregnancy. These hormones act like the chemicals a woman’s body naturally makes. EC pills contain higher amounts of the same hormones found in regular birth control pills. 

EC can prevent pregnancy in a number of ways, depending on where a woman is in her monthly menstrual cycle, (or, how close she is to getting her period). Like birth control pills, EC pills may:

⦁ keep an egg from leaving the ovary

⦁ keep sperm from reaching the egg or

⦁ keep the fertilized egg (meaning the sperm has entered the egg) from attaching to the uterus

Is EC the abortion pill?

EC pills are not the abortion pill and cannot cause an abortion. Emergency contraception contains hormones that prevent pregnancy from happening by stopping the egg and sperm from meeting and/or attaching to the uterus. EC cannot stop a fertilized egg from growing once it has attached and begun to grow in the uterus.

The abortion pill, also known as mifepristone or RU-486, is a very different medication that is used to stop a pregnancy from continuing once it has already begun to grow in the uterus.

Taking EC will not work if a woman is already pregnant, and it will not affect a woman who is already pregnant. EC is completely harmless to a fertilized egg that has already attached to the uterus.

I know I used to be really confused about the difference between EC and the abortion pill.  One of my friends told me it was the same thing, but she was wrong.  Aunt Lucia helped me understand the difference.  

EC does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like HIV or chlamydia. Condoms are the only birth control methods that also protect against STIs like HIV.

How well does it work?

The Plan B® method of emergency contraception is very effective. In fact, the sooner Plan B® is used, the more effective it is.

Since taking Plan B® is time-sensitive, it’s a good idea to have the pills on you just in case.  A health care provider can write a prescription in advance or provide a pack of EC pills to keep at home in case they are needed in an emergency.  I keep a prescription in my purse just in case I need it.

Is it safe?

Plan B® and birth control pills as EC are both very safe to use. The side effects of EC pills are similar to the effects that hormonal changes related to menstruation, such as PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome).

The makers of Plan B® recommend not taking it if a woman thinks she might already be pregnant. This is not because of any risk, but because the pills will have no effect on her, besides feeling sick to her stomach. Even if a woman doesn’t know she’s pregnant and takes EC, it will not harm her or her pregnancy.

Some sources say that birth control or EC are unsafe. It’s so not true. Both birth control and EC have been approved as safe, effective, and non-abortive (meaning that it does not cause an abortion) by governments all over the world. Millions of women and girls have safely used EC for pregnancy protection. So don’t believe the hype!

EC is a totally safe birth control option if there is a risk for pregnancy, but it is best used as a back-up method in case regular birth control fails. Check out the Birth Control page for more information.

Are there side effects?

The most common side effects of EC are nausea (feeling like you need to throw up), vomiting, and small changes in timing and flow of a woman’s period (menstrual cycle). Stomach pain, breast tenderness, dizziness, tiredness, headaches, and irregular bleeding may also happen, though these generally last only a day or two after taking EC. Taking EC may cause her next period to occur a few days earlier or later than expected.

Taking motion sickness medicine such as Dramamine® an hour before taking EC may make it less likely that sickness happens. Research shows that taking two 25 mg (milligram) tablets of motion sickness medicine one hour before taking EC lessens the risk of nausea and vomiting. Keep in mind that motion sickness medications may cause drowsiness.

If vomiting happens within one hour of taking any form of oral EC, the dosage may need to be taken again to make sure the right amount of hormones get into the body. It’s always good to check with a doctor or family planning provider before taking the second dose.

Since it has less side effects and a higher rate of success, Plan B® is often recommended over regular birth control as EC. However, because EC must be used within 5 days of a pregnancy risk, taking regular birth control is a good option for anyone who already has a prescription and may not have time to get Plan B®.  Hey, I say, do what makes the most sense for you.