About the Invention of the Morning After Pill
Emergency contraception has been used by millions of women for more than 30 years with no reports of serious complications. The morning after pill is a hormonal form of emergency contraception that is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure. It is not used in the typical fashion of continuous hormonal birth control. It is purported that there is no limit to the number of times a woman can safely use the morning after pill.
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The Facts
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The morning after pill is a contraceptive measure available to purchase for those 18 and older without a prescription. This form of birth control is considered a backup option and prevents pregnancy in one of three ways: The normal menstrual cycle is altered, delaying ovulation; ovulation is inhibited, meaning the egg won't be released from the ovary; the lining of the uterus is irritated to prevent implantation of a fertilized egg. The morning after pill is 98 to 99 percent effective.
Types
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Plan B is a high-level dosage of the hormone progestin levonorgestrel that requires a woman take the first pill within 72 hours of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure and a second pill 12 hours later. Plan B-One Step is a one-pill solution to be taken within the 72-hour time frame. Preven EC is also a two-dosage emergency contraceptive, like Plan B, but contains the hormones ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel.
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Time Frame
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There is a 72-hour window of opportunity when taking the morning after pill. After unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure, a woman can can take the morning after pill to minimize her chances of becoming pregnant. The original brand, Plan B, required a woman to take a second pill 12 hours after taking the initial dose. A newer version, Plan B-One Step, approved by the FDA and released in August 2009, requires a woman to take only one dose within the initial 72-hour time frame. The sooner you take the morning after pill, the more effective it is.
Effects
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Taking the morning after pill may produce some or all of these side effects: nausea and vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, headache, breast tenderness, abdominal pain and/or an earlier or later next period. Few serious side effects have been reported. If you experience any of the following, contact a doctor or call 911 immediately: severe abdominal pains, shortness of breath, chest pains, severe headaches, blurred vision or other vision problems and/or leg or arm pain or numbness.
Misconceptions
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Since the morning after pill can be taken up to three days after unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure, the term "morning after" is misleading. There has been much controversy surrounding the methodology behind this emergency contraceptive. In a 2007 study by doctors Mikolajczyk and Stanford of the Department of Medicine in Public Health of the University of Bielefeld (Germany) clearly indicates that the pill's "real effect" includes mechanisms that prevent a fertilized egg from implantation, causing an early abortion.
Warning
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Morning after pills are never to be used when a woman already knows she is pregnant. Women with known allergies to levonorgestrel should not take the morning after pill.
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References
Resources
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