Know Your Options To Prevent A Unwanted Pregnancy
Article Author: Health Educator Expert: Erik Kampe, MS
Emergency contraception, or emergency birth control, is used to keep a woman from getting pregnant when she has had unprotected vaginal intercourse.
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"Unprotected" can mean that no method of birth control
was used.
It can also mean that a birth control method was used
but did not work - like a condom breaking.
Other things can happen
as well that put a woman at risk for getting pregnant.
A woman may have forgotten to take her birth control pills.
She
may have been abused or forced to have sex when she did not want
to.
Emergency contraception should never be used as a regular method
of birth control. There are effective methods of birth control that
women can use on a regular basis to prevent an unwanted pregancy.
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Emergency contraception keeps a woman from getting pregnant by
stopping:
-
ovulation, or stopping the ovaries from
releasing eggs that can be fertilized;
-
fertilization, or stopping the egg from
being fertilized by the sperm;
-
implantation, or stopping a fertilized
egg from attaching itself to the wall of the uterus.
If you are already pregnant, emergency contraception will NOT work.
If you have an ectopic pregnancy,
where the pregnancy develops outside of the uterus, it will also
not work.
This can be a serious condition that can be fatal. Signs of ectopic
pregnancy include:
- Extreme pain on one or both sides of the lower abdomen
- Spotting blood
- Feeling dizzy or faint
If you think you have an ectopic pregnancy, go to an emergency
room right away.
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There are two types of emergency contraception available to women
in the United States:
- Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs)
- Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
In most states, you need to see a health care provider to get either
type of emergency contraception.
The health care provider may take your medical history and do a
urine pregnancy test, and will talk with you about which type of
emergency contraception is best for you.
You should never take ECPs that belong to another family member
or friend.
It is very important to first talk with a health care provider.
ECPs are sometimes wrongly called the "morning after pill."
This is wrong because ECPs are never taken as one pill, the "morning
after." They are taken in two doses, 12 hours apart.
They work best if taken within 72 hours of unprotected vaginal
intercourse. ECPs contain higher doses of hormones than those contained
in birth control pills. ECPs can have only one hormone, progestin,
or can have two hormones, estrogen and progestin.
If a woman can't take estrogen or is breastfeeding, she can use
progestin-only ECPs. If you need ECPs, your health care provider
will prescribe the best pill for you to use.
The other type of emergency contraception is an intrauterine device
(IUD).
A woman can have the Copper-T IUD, which is shaped like a "T,"
and placed inside her uterus (or womb) by a health care provider.
This must be done within seven days after unprotected vaginal intercourse.
The IUD can be taken out by a health care provider after the woman's
next period. It also can be left in place for up to 10 years if
the woman decides to use it as her regular method of birth control.
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Take the emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) exactly as the health
care provider tells you. If you see another health care provider
for any reason after taking any dose of ECPs, be sure to tell her
or him that you have taken ECPs.
Some women have nausea and vomiting after taking ECPs.
A health
care provider can prescribe medication to help control the nausea.
If you have severe nausea, it is important not to stop taking the
pills. If you do not finish the pills, you may not prevent the pregnancy.
After you have taken ECPs, you can expect that your first period
may come sooner or later than normal. Your blood flow also may be
different - heavier, lighter, or more spotty than normal.
You MUST
use another method of birth control if you have vaginal intercourse
any time before your next period starts. Now is a good time for
you to start planning for the future.
Learn about birth control
methods and choose one you feel comfortable with. Talking with your
health care provider is a good way to start. If you do not start
your period within three weeks or have any signs of pregnancy after
taking ECPs, see a health care provider right away.
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Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) that contain both estrogen and progestin are about
75% effective at keeping a woman from getting pregnant. ECPs that
contain only progestin are about 89% effective. The Copper-T intrauterine
device (IUD) is 99.9% effective. Timing is important to how well
emergency birth control works. The sooner a woman gets emergency
birth control after having unprotected vaginal intercourse, the
better it works. If a woman is in the fertile part of her cycle
(ovulating), or close to that time, when she uses emergency birth
control, her chances of getting pregnant are greater.
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Studies have been done with women who did not know they were pregnant
and kept taking birth control pills. These studies have found no
increased risk for birth defects. Your girlfriend should see a health
care provider right away to talk about her options.
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No. Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy.
It works by stopping an egg from being released from the ovary
and by stopping an egg from being fertilized, or reached by sperm.
Emergency contraception also stops a fertilized egg from attaching,
or implanting, itself to the wall of the uterus (or womb). The so-called
"abortion pills" (Mifeprex (mifepristone) also
called RU-486) work after a woman becomes pregnant - after a fertilized
egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. These pills cause the uterus
to expel the egg, ending the pregnancy.
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For More Information...
You can find out more about emergency contraception by contacting
the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) (800) 994-WOMAN
(9662) or the following organizations:
Food and Drug Administration
Phone Number(s): (888) 463-6332
Emergency Contraception
Hotline
Phone Number(s): (888) 668-2528
Planned
Parenthood Federation of America
Phone Number(s): (800) 230-7526, (800) 669-0156 (To Order Materials)
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