The morning after pill is a useful method to prevent unwanted pregnancy.. It is an effective method as long as important recommendations about its use are followed. However, it should not be used routinely as a substitute for contraception.
The morning-after pill, also known as the morning-after pillhas become popular in recent years. It has many advantages, although its disadvantages must also be observed and known so as not to incur possible health hazards.
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Everything there is to know about the morning after pill.
The morning after pill is an emergency contraceptive method. Its name comes from the fact that it must be taken no more than 72 hours after unprotected intimacy.. Although the effectiveness increases if it is taken the day after immediately.
It is important to remember that it is not a method that prevents the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. It is an over-the-counter medication, even in some places it is provided free of charge.
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What is the morning-after pill?
The morning-after pill is an oral tablet. Its function is to prevent fertilization. It can be by preventing the egg from leaving the ovary, by intervening in the cervical mucus, thickening it to impede the passage of the sperm, or by altering the endometrium so that the fertilized egg does not implant.
Because of its function, it is not an abortifacient method, but a contraceptive method.. For this reason, it must be used following the instructions and indications. This is not only to make its result more efficient, but also not to cause any adverse reaction that can be prevented.
The active compound in the morning-after pills available on the market is ulipristal acetate or levonorgestrel. In the case of levonorgestrel, it is a progesterone compound. Progesterone acts by altering the functions in the uterus to prevent fertilization.
On the other hand, ulipristal acetate is not hormonal. In this case, the ulipristal acetate pill is actually a selective progesterone receptor modulator. It is because of this function that it effectively inhibits contraception for up to five days. It is the most widely marketed throughout Europe.
In which cases is it recommended?
The morning-after pill is used to prevent unwanted pregnancy.. If for various reasons an unprotected intimate relationship has taken place, then the morning-after pill should be taken no later than 72 hours later. Even if there is no suspicion of pregnancy due to not being in the fertile period, it is best not to hesitate or wait more days.
If the condom has broken or there is suspicion of it, or if it was incorrectly inserted, it is also a good idea to take the pill. If you have forgotten to take the contraceptive pill, then it is best to use this method. Even if there is no suspicion of pregnancy as such, one can also resort to the post-day pill, because when in doubt it is always best to prevent, and the morning-after pill is effective in this situation.
However, this pill should not be used as a regular method of contraception or as a substitute for the current one. Although it is a drug with very few adverse reactions or contraindications, it should not be abused. This recommendation is due to the fact that prolonged or inappropriate use may cause hormonal alterations.
Since it is not a method of prevention, it should not be taken before having intimacy. The morning-after pill does not work in this way, so it will be useless to proceed in this way. For this reason, besides not being an abortive method, it is not a preventive method that can be administered before having intimacy.
How should it be taken?
The morning after pill should always be taken after having had intimacy, and when the usual contraceptive methods have failed. If there is a suspicion of unwanted conception, only one pill should be taken during the following 72 hours. The sooner it is taken, the more effective it is guaranteed to be. In fact, the health recommendation is that the pill should be taken within the first 24 hours after intercourse.
So, after having had intimate relations, the pill can be purchased and ingested. It is not necessary to take more than two doses. One single dose is enough to guarantee, with up to 99% effectiveness, that there is no fertilization. Some pills, such as ulipristal acetate, can be taken up to 5 days later. However, the 72-hour recommendation remains the same.
The effectiveness of the morning-after pill taken within the first 24 hours increases up to 99%.. It should not be taken twice in the same cycle, as doing so may cause hormonal alterations. It should be taken very punctually.
If hormonal contraceptives are being taken, then it is necessary to reinforce prevention, since the morning after pill can diminish its effect. For this reason, it is advisable to take measures in the following intimate relations, to avoid the need to take the pill again and reduce its effectiveness.
Advantages
Undoubtedly, the great advantage of the morning after pill is its effectiveness. Its proper and punctual use registers an efficiency of up to 99%, as we have already mentioned.as we have already mentioned. It is easy to acquire, and in some countries and areas it is even provided free of charge without the need to fulfill any requirement, not even the age of majority.
It is available over-the-counter and can be purchased at any drugstore. Its ingestion requires nothing more than a little water. It has very few contraindications and side effects reported. Therefore, it is considered safe and effective. It can be ingested during lactation and there is no harm to either mom or baby.
Disadvantages
The morning-after pill has several disadvantages as well. The main one is that in women with a body mass index over 30 it is very likely that it will not work. In addition, it is common for it to cause an imbalance in the menstrual cycle, so there may be delays or even bringing forward the next cycle.
It is not a method that can be used regularlyIt is not a method that can be used regularly, so it is not recommended to use it more than twice in a single cycle. In the case of the levonorgestrel pill, its effectiveness is reduced by up to 54% if it is used three days after intimate relations. En caso de asma o insuficiencia hepática, no debería usarse tampoco.
Referencias bibliográficas
- Black, K. I., Mercer, C. H., Johnson, A. M. & Wellings, K. (2006). Sociodemographic and sexual health profile of users of emergency hormonal contraception: data from a British probability sample survey. Contraception.
- Gemzell-Danielsso, Kristina; Sharon T Cameron. (2011). Ulipristal acetate (ellaOne®) for emergency contraception: review of the clinical evidence. Future Science.
- Ho, Pak Chung, et al. (2002). Mifepristone: Contraceptive and Non-Contraceptive Uses. Current Opinions in Obstetrics Gynecology.
- World Health Organization, WHO. (1998). Emergency Contraception: a guide for service delivery. WHO/FRH7FPP798.19, Geneva.