The morning-after pill might seem an easy and convenient way of preventing unwanted pregnancy - but how safe is it?
Tearing off to the pharmacy to get the morning-after pill the morning after unprotected sex may get you worrying about the negative effects you've heard it has. There's no need. The negative perceptions surrounding the morning-after pill - or emergency contraception as it's more correctly known - are rooted in ignorance, possibly the result of the medical fraternity generally preferring to promote condoms as a means of preventing pregnancies because they also protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), unlike a pill.
Requests for emergency contraception often come from women who have forgotten to take their usual contraceptive pill or who have had sex during which the condom tore. It's especially important for women who have been raped to have access to emergency contraception.
Compared to the risk that a pregnancy or abortion poses to a woman's health, the nausea that's the worst side effect of emergency contraception is minor. All women should have easy access to emergency contraception, also to reduce the number of unwanted babies born.
The stigma some people attach to the pill is also based on misinformation. It's sometimes regarded as an abortion pill. But it can only prevent a pregnancy that has not yet taken place. It cannot terminate one.
There are two commonly used morning-after pills: Levonorgestrel and Mifepristone. One dose of the pill is taken within 72 hours of having sex and another is taken 12 hours later. A copper-containing IUD such as the loop may also be used as an emergency contraceptive.
These postcoital contraceptives prevent pregnancy by inhibiting or delaying ovulation, interfering with the transport of eggs, embryo or sperm in the Fallopian tubes, or making the womb less receptive to pregnancy.
Many women wrongly think that there's no point in taking emergency contraception unless they do it the day after having sex. That's a myth that stems from its name - the morning-after pill - but in fact the contraception can be taken 24, 72 or even 120 hours after the event. The loop can be inserted within five to seven days of unprotected intercourse.
The sooner a pill is taken, the better. Once a fertilized egg has been implanted, you won't be able to stop the pregnancy by popping a pill.
The Real Worry
Another myth about emergency contraception is that it can only be used a certain number of times before it becomes ineffective. That's not true. There's no limit to the number of times you can take the morning-after pill. Gynecologists wouldn't recommend this pill as contraception. Morning-after pills contain higher doses of hormones than regular contraceptive pills and may have adverse effects if taken daily. Also, feeling sick isn't great - though, as the nausea and vomiting caused by the pill can be treated with anti-nausea medication. (If, however, you throw up within two hours of taking it you will need another dose.)
While this pill may prevent pregnancies, don't forget it can't protect you from STDs. If you've had unprotected sex, see your doctor, who will advise you on a course of antiretroviral drugs and other medications to prevent HIV infection and other STDs. You should also get tested for both.
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