An emergency form of birth control is available to women, but many do not know it exists. Oral contraceptives used for this purpose are often referred to as the morning after pill. Not just one pill, emergency contraception (EC) consists of a series of pills, and it is not the same as the RU486, the abortion pill.

Emergency birth control is not a regular form of birth control, but is a back-up method, meant to be used after unprotected sex, after a condom breaks, or in cases of sexual assault.

This regimen, first described by Albert Yuzpe in l974, showed oral contraceptive pills containing the hormones estrogen and progestin to be safe and effective as a form of emergency contraception. The Yupze Regimen of EC requires a woman to take one dose of birth control pills within 72 hours of sexual intercourse and a second dose twelve hours later.

Several forms of this pill combination are available, with a common one marketed under the trade name Preven. Doctors in hospital emergency rooms and reproductive health centers have prescribed it over the past two decades, primarily to women who were victims of sexual assault. There is also a newer progestin-only form of the emergency contraceptive pill marketed under the trade name Plan B.

How does it work?

Two important factors influence how well emergency contraceptives will work: the amount of time that has passed since unprotected intercourse, and the time in a womans cycle at which she had sex.

The earlier, within the 72-hour window, the pills are taken after unprotected intercourse, the more effective. The closer to ovulation, the greater risk of becoming pregnant, the less likely EC will work. If taken according to instructions, emergency contraceptive is 75 percent effective in preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex.

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Taking an increased amount of hormones interrupts the fertilization process so that pregnancy is prevented. ECs can work in several different ways: by preventing ovulation, and/or blocking fertilization of the egg by the sperm, or preventing implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus. The pills do not work if a woman is already pregnant, in contrast to RU486, which works after implantation has occurred.

Are there any side effects?

About half the women who take the pills have temporary nausea. It is usually mild and should stop in a day or so. Nausea, due to the high levels of estrogen, can be reduced if you take an anti-nausea medicine (such as meclizine) 30 minutes to 1 hour before taking each of the two doses of EC.

The progestin-only pill is better tolerated because it does not cause the same amount of nausea as the combination pill. Other common side effects related to emergency use are nausea, vomiting, menstrual irregularities, breast tenderness, headache, abdominal pain, and cramps.

Most women can use emergency contraception, including those who have contraindications to long-term birth control pill use: women who smoke, and those with a history of high blood pressure or blood clots, provided the pills are used only in rare circumstances.

What do I need to do?

Preven and Plan B are packaged specifically as emergency contraception kits. The kits contain a pregnancy test, EC pills, and instructions. Regular birth control pills, that are prescribed for every day use also contain the specific estrogen and progesterone combination and can be used for emergency contraception. Before taking any pills as emergency contraception, speak with your doctor, because there are different dosages for different brands of pills.

Any woman who is sexually active should discuss EC with her doctor in case of unprotected intercourse or the primary method of birth control fails. Emergency contraception substantially reduces the odds of becoming pregnant after unprotected sexual intercourse. However, it is not as effective as proper use of a regular contraceptive method, and it should not be used as a regular form of birth control.

 

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