Also called "morning after" contraception, emergency contraception prevents pregnancy after unprotected intercourse through one of two ways: oral contraception or the insertion of an IUD (intrauterine device).
Oral Contraception: "Morning after" pills originally came to light in the form of RU-486. When you take emergency oral contraception, the body makes it so that if by chance you did become pregnant within the last 3 days, you will no longer be pregnant. As with regular birth control pills, emergency pills come in several forms. You must take the first dose of pills no later than 72 hours after the "mistake" occurs. Emergency oral contraception should not be used as your regular form of birth control. First of all, even if you begin treatment right away, it's slightly less reliable than the other hormonal methods listed earlier. Second, you have to consume about 40 pills in a 24-hour time frame, and this shock to your body may cause vomiting, headaches and irregular periods.
Emergency IUD Insertion: An IUD is a small, flexible plastic device that contains either copper or a hormone, and it is inserted into the uterus, preventing an egg from attaching to the uterine wall. There are a few kinds available, and different brands can be left in the uterus for up to 10 years to prevent pregnancy. Therefore, using an IUD as emergency contraception only makes sense if you plan on using it as your method of birth control from that point on. For emergency situations, the IUD must be inserted within 5 days of unprotected intercourse.
Although IUDs are extremely reliable (99.7 percent effective), there are strong reasons against using an IUD as a method of birth control, emergency or regular. First, the IUD can be squeezed out of the uterus or actually puncture the uterus. Furthermore, the side effects range from heavy menstrual flow to severe cramping to infertility. The threat of infertility causes most doctors to warn young women who plan on having children someday against using an IUD.
