Pregnancy Resource Center of the Poconos: 570-424-1113
Make the best decision by educating yourself ; it is good to know all of the facts before taking the Morning After Pill. Your body and your health are important; please contact us for more information and confidential help. Take time to make the best decision.
What is the Morning After Pill?
The Morning After Pill (a form of emergency contraception) is any type of hormonal birth control taken after unprotected intercourse or a known or suspected contraceptive (condom, etc.) failure. In the United States, Plan B® is the only FDA approved method currently available.
Plan B is reported to reduce the risk of pregnancy by at least 75% if used within the first 72 hours after unprotected sex. It is administered in two tablets: the first must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex and the second 12 hours after the first.i
Should I Take the Morning After Pill?
Many times, women panic after having unprotected sex and scramble to take the Morning After Pill. However, did you know that you can only become pregnant on certain days of the month – around the time that you ovulate? Typically, there are only about three to five days a month in which pregnancy can occur. Many women take the Morning After Pill during a time when they are not fertile and are unable to become pregnant. This needlessly exposes women to large doses of hormones.
How Does it Work?
The drug is believed to work in one of 3 waysii:
There is no way to know which way the drug is working in any one person.
- It may prevent or delay ovulation (release of egg from ovary)
- It may affect the sperm and tube transport to prevent the egg from being fertilized
- It may alter the uterine lining which prevents the fertilized egg from implanting, resulting in an early abortion
Are There Side Effects?
The Morning After Pill contains female hormones. Just like other medication, there are side effects.
- Plan B, the most common form of the Morning After Pill in the United States, includes side effects such as nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, irregular vaginal bleeding, and dizziness.iii
- There is some evidence that Morning After Pill may put a woman at increased risk for ectopic pregnancy.iv
It is very important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of an ectopic or tubal pregnancy, which can be life-threatening. Women who have a tubal pregnancy may experience, irregular vaginal bleeding, abdominal and/or pelvic pain and cramps, shoulder pain and dizziness. Some of these symptoms are exactly the same as those expected with the use of the Morning After Pill. It is critical that anyone who has these symptoms even after the use of the Morning After Pill be evaluated by a physician to rule out the possibility of a tubal pregnancy, which can cause internal bleeding that may lead to death. The Morning After Pill does not affect a pregnancy that has attached to the uterus already, or one that has attached inside the fallopian tube.
This medicine was not approved by the FDA in the usual manner. The evaluation of the drug did not include long term studies or enough studies on younger women (teenagers) to really know the long term side effects or potential risks for that age group. This drug is now available over the counter, without a prescription. Many young people are using it inappropriately, taking it multiple times a month. It is NOT recommended as birth control. Remember, there are no long term studies on the safety of repeated doses in young women. Don't take a chance on science's failure to check this drug out thoroughly.
Forms of the Morning After Pill that contain the hormone estrogen carry the potential risks associated with that drug. These include: blood clots, stroke and heart attack.
Our Center has a lot of information on the Morning After Pill, but we do not refer to or prescribe it. We are here to help you sort through your concerns. If you are sexually active, we recommend that you take a pregnancy test before taking the Morning After Pill.
This information is intended for general education purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical advice.
References
i-iii Physician's Desk Reference; 2006; Plan B; p. 1068-69; prescribing information
iv United Kingdom Department of Health; January 2003; Chief Medical Officer Update #35; Levonelle/Levonelle-2 emergency contraception: new advice