There are many situations in life that require emergency contraception. What if the sexual intercourse was unprotected, and pregnancy is not included in the immediate plans, the barrier method failed (the integrity of the condom was broken), the scheduled intake of the hormonal pill was missed, violence occurred? In such cases, emergency contraception can help.
In the course of the article, we will consider the main points that relate to contraceptives used in emergency situations. Under no circumstances should emergency contraception be used as regular contraception. Remember that they are used only in cases of real need and urgency.
Pill the next morning - familiar the general name by which drugs are identified that contain a specific active ingredient - a progestogen . It should be noted that such drugs are not means for abortion. A pharmacological abortion terminates a pregnancy that has already occurred, and a pill is used the next morning to prevent it from starting.
For use in the context of emergency contraception, the active ingredient is used in high concentrations. Levonorgestrel - synthetic progestogen in lower doses and sometimes in combination with estrogenic active substances is used for "conventional" contraception, treatment of certain gynecological diseases, as hormone replacement therapy. Preparations with this active substance can be in the form of tablets and transdermal patches.
When and how to apply?
To achieve the effect, the tablet should be taken as soon as possible, preferably within 12 hours and no later than 72 hours (three days) if you have had unprotected or insufficiently protected intercourse. If a drug is used more than once during the same menstrual cycle, it will be less reliable and more likely to affect the cycle.
Mechanism of action
At dosages used in emergency contraceptive preparations, the active ingredient is thought to primarily prevent ovulation and fertilization , when intercourse occurs in the pre-ovulatory phase. The main mechanism of action is to block the release of the egg by suppressing the peak of luteinizing hormone. Given the mechanism of action, if sexual intercourse occurred when the process leading to ovulation has already begun , the drug will not have any effect. Likewise, if the implantation process has already begun, the next morning's pill is ineffective.
Are there side effects?
Like any medicine, emergency contraceptives can cause side effects. The most common of them are: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, pain in the lower abdomen, irregular bleeding before the start of the next menstrual cycle, menstrual cycle failure.
The side effects of the pill should disappear within a few days of taking it. If this does not happen or if the undesirable effects are very intense even within 48 hours after ingestion, it is necessary to consult a gynecologist. Specialists of MC " Bogolyuby " will advise you on any issue related to the reproductive sphere.
When should you not take a tablet the next morning?
Tablets the next morning are contraindicated in case of allergy to levonorgestrel and/or excipients. You should avoid taking:
• if menarche has not yet arrived ;
• together with preparations containing ulipristal acetate;
• pregnant women (the drug does not terminate pregnancy).
With regard to use by lactating women, levonorgestrol is excreted in breast milk, and it would be advisable to consult a gynecologist before taking the pill the next morning.
What other options are there? The copper IUD is commonly used for routine contraception, but it can also be used as emergency contraception. In the latter case, the coil must be inserted as early as possible and in any case within five days after the act considered risky. Statistics show that if a copper IUD is inserted within 48 hours after intercourse, then its effectiveness is 99%.
