
Emergency contraception or “the morning-after pills” is a type of birth control pill taken by women the following morning after unprotected sex when she suspects a ruptured condom or when she missed out on regular contraceptive pills. Emergency contraception is the SOS solution if any other birth control methods fail. It works by either blocking the hormones that promote conception or by delaying the ovulation cycle.
The time duration between the pill consumption and intercourse determines the effectiveness of the emergency contraceptives. Depending on this time duration there are different types of Emergency Contraceptive.
Even though emergency contraceptive is safe, it should not be consumed regularly or replace the contractive pills or birth control pills. The emergency contraceptive pills are very strong and can meddle with the normal hormonal cycle of the body.
Therefore, regular use can result in various side effects like: Abnormal vaginal bleeding: Bleeding for 2-3 days is normal after the pills but more than three days can be a sign of a severe health issue and requires immediate medical attention. This is one of the common side effects of consuming an emergency contraceptive pill.
Well, yes! Careful studies have shown that women who use emergency contraceptive pill either get their periods 3–4 days early or later than the actual date. Not just this, about 13–14% of women experience excruciating painful menstruation cramps. The World Health Organization has announced levonorgestrel as the gold standard in hormonal emergency contraception (EC). It is a safe method of emergency contraception, but changes in the menstruation pattern have been observed in women who consume the pill.
The menstrual cycle of women is generally by a mean interval of 28 days between the two menses. A careful study based on the menstrual cycle regularity showed that there is a change in the cycle length (+/− 2 days) and menstrual period duration (+/− 1 day) in women who have taken the EC pills. This change in the cycle is due to the hormonal change that is brought about by the pill. When or at what stage of ovulation the pill is taken determines the changes in the women’s monthly cycle.
Few of the changes that studies concluded are:
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Apart from the pills, there is an Intrauterine Device (IUD). Insertion of the IUD also prevents pregnancy by preventing implantation of the fertilized egg for 5 to 7 days after unprotected sex. You can learn more about it by consulting it with your healthcare specialist. Therefore, if you are experiencing any such changes, kindly visit the nearest doctor!
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Yes, the use of an emergency contraceptive pill is likely to affect your next menstrual cycle. You can expect your period to start early or late, with less or heavier menstrual flow. However, the effects of the emergency contraceptive pill are temporary and you can notice changes only in the first period after taking the intake of contraceptive pill.
Taking an emergency contraception pill during your period or anytime of your menstrual cycle is safe. It may disrupt your menstrual cycle, delay ovulation, and you may suffer from cramping or spotting due to the intake of the emergency contraception pill.
Your period may be delayed by 1-2 weeks after taking Ipill. However, in case of a period delay of more than 1 week, it is highly recommended to take a pregnancy test to check for pregnancy.
Some may experience nausea, vomiting, fatigue, digestive issues, breast tenderness, and irregular periods. Most of the negative effects are temporary, and you can notice these effects in the immediate cycle after taking emergency pills.