{"id":3397,"date":"2013-04-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-04-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/condition-sexual-health-expert-advice-on-how-to-use-emergency-contraception\/"},"modified":"2013-04-11T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-04-11T00:00:00","slug":"condition-sexual-health-expert-advice-on-how-to-use-emergency-contraception","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/condition-sexual-health-expert-advice-on-how-to-use-emergency-contraception\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Emergency Contraception"},"content":{"rendered":"
Courtesy of Jean Amoura, MD<\/p>\n
N. Jean Amoura, MD, is an associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.<\/i><\/p>\n
Q: What is emergency contraception?<\/p>\n
A: Emergency contraception, sometimes also known as the morning-after pill, is a high-dose version of hormones similar to those found in regular birth control pills. It can prevent pregnancy if taken soon after having unprotected sex<\/a>. There are two products on the market that you can buy at a pharmacy—one over-the-counter, no prescription required, and one that requires a prescription from your doctor. You can take these if you've had unprotected sex due to a broken condom or other failed birth control method, or if you have had unprotected sex for any reason and dont want to get pregnant.<\/p>\n Q: Is emergency contraception the same thing as having an abortion?<\/p>\n A: No. The two types of emergency contraception available today—Plan B and Ella—both work by preventing pregnancy, not by interfering with an already existing pregnancy. Plan B contains a single progestin hormone, levonorgestrel, which is also found in much lower doses in birth control pills. Ella contains an antiprogestin. Both seem to work the same way, largely by stopping any ovulation that might be due to happen in the next few days. These "day after" pills may also stop fertilization either by affecting sperm or egg motility (how it moves) or by preventing the sperm from entering the uterus. It's also possible that Ella and Plan B can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus wall. In medical terms, a fertilized egg that has not been implanted does not qualify as a pregnancy.<\/p>\n Q: How old do I have to be to get emergency contraception?<\/p>\n A: Girls and women of any age can now get Plan B, which is also available in generic form (levonorgestrel), just by asking their pharmacist. Before a court order handed down in April, Plan B was only available over-the-counter to women aged 17 and older. Anyone younger than 17 had to have a prescription. Ella is available to all ages but only with a prescription.<\/p>\n Q: When should I take emergency contraception?<\/p>\n A: Women should take Plan B as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse as its effectiveness drops off quickly. It is generally recommended that women take it within the first three days, although it is most effective in the first 12 hours after unprotected sex. You can stretch it out to five days but its effectiveness is substantially less towards the end of that five-day period than it is at the beginning. Ella, on the other hand, is nearly as effective at the end of five days as it is at the very beginning.<\/p>\n Q: How effective is emergency contraception?<\/p>\n A: Plan B is 98-99% effective in preventing pregnancy within the first menstrual cycle after unprotected sex. If you take it early enough, it is 80-85% effective in preventing pregnancies that would have occurred anyway. Effectiveness can drop to 60% if you wait to take it. Ella is also about 80-85% effective in preventing pregnancies that would have occurred anyway. That stays true throughout the five-day recommended time window.<\/p>\n Q: Are morning-after pills safe?<\/p>\n A: There are no serious medical risks that are known. We have many years of experience with Plan B and we know it's very, very safe. We also have decades more experience with the regular old birth control pill which acts similarly and we know that is safe. We have less experience with Ella but that appears also to be safe. Even if there are some potential health risks, they would be totally outweighed by an unplanned pregnancy.<\/p>\n Q: Do they have side effects?<\/p>\n A: The side effects associated with Ella and Plan B are relatively minor. The most common side effects are nausea and vomiting and that's still only 50% of women. In fact, the nausea and vomiting some women experience are actually less than those sometimes seen with the regular birth control pill. Some women who take Ella or Plan B will also have headaches and some will have breast tenderness but all of these things tend to be short-lived because it's a one-time dose of medication.<\/p>\n Q: Who shouldn't use emergency contraception?<\/p>\n A: The only people who shouldn't use emergency contraception are those who are already pregnant and even then it's only because they won't work. It's not so much a safety issue as an effectiveness issue. The morning-after pill may even be safer for some women than regular birth control pills. Women who have a high risk of blood clots, who have liver problems or who are over 35 and still smoke are not good candidates for birth control pills but can use emergency contraceptive pills.<\/p>\n