Emergency Contraception is like a safe haven, our rescue, after all the wild activity the night before.
The two types of emergency contraception is Paragard Copper IUD and taking an emergency contraceptive pill.
How does Emergency contraception work?
Abracadabra! “The pill is not an instant magic spell to make things disappear” you will have to follow the instructions to make it work effectively.
Most Contraceptive Pills work by delaying or preventing ovulation. Commonly referred to as the morning-After Pill, the pill works by stopping sperm from joining with an egg to prevent fertilisation. The hormones released by the pill stop ovulation from occurring. The chemicals in t
The pill thicken the mucus in the cervix. This thicker cervical mucus creates a barrier to prevent sperm from swimming in and entering an egg, kind of like a sticky security guard. Click Pharmacy pharmacist, Jana Abelovska recommends “… the morning after pill is available and exists for this sort of situation and should be used in emergency purposes.”
On the other hand; IUD insertion changes the environment in your uterus to make it toxic to sperm and eggs. We can’t talk about emergency contraception and not mention intrauterine coil. The Intrauterine Device (IUD) is commonly made of copper. It is inserted into the uterus, which is a long term method of contraception; please seek further information from your GP. To avoid worrying about pregnancy scares, whether you forget to take your pill regularly or tend to run out of condoms. This is something you should book in advance of any unprotected sex. The IUD releases copper ions which impair sperm function to prevent fertilisation and may also prevent implantation,”
But! I used emergency contraception, and I still got pregnant
Here’s 6 Reasons You Got Pregnant
You didn’t take it soon enough:
“Take it sooner, rather than later for best results.”
Morning-after pills like Levonelle can be taken up to three days after and are effective. EllaOne, the newest on the market, can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex and still work. For best results, taking the morning after pill within 72 hours. After that, the efficacy rate starts to drop. After three days of unprotected sex, these kinds of morning-after pills are between 75 and 89 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, Paragard also needs to be inserted within that five-day window to be effective.
You threw up after taking Emergency Contraception:
Another thing you may not know if you throw up within an hour of swallowing the morning after pill; you will need to take another. The chances are extremely high that your body would not have had enough time to absorb the pill into your system. Click Pharmacy pharmacist, Jana Abelovska, explains: “If you vomit within two hours after taking the morning after pill you need to take another dose. If you are over the required BMI of 26, it is important to take another two tablets for Levonelle. Regardless of weight EllaOne is just one pill, so it’s more cost-effective.”
Your BMI is over a certain number:
Although measuring your true body mass index is a tricky measure it is quite an important factor in getting pregnant or the opposite using the morning after pill. If a woman has a BMI of over 26, or weighs over 70kg morning-after pills like Plan B or Levonelle are less likely to be effective and would require two tablets taken. In this instance, the IUD can be an excellent option as a pregnancy preventative or EllaOne.
You started hormonal birth control right after taking EllaOne:
If you’re on another method of hormonal birth control, EllaOne is not the best emergency contraception at that moment. It’s not a good idea to use EllaOne if you’re on hormonal birth control because it makes them both less effective. To be safe, after using Ella, use condoms until your next period, and don’t use hormonal birth control until five days have passed.
You took Plan B during ovulation:
Plan B One-Step works like other birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. The drug acts primarily by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary. It may prevent sperm from fertilising the egg.
If fertilisation does occur, Plan B One-Step may prevent a fertilised egg from attaching to the womb. Preventing pregnancy with Plan B is being debated as a type of abortion method. Supringly, most women are unaware that sperm can live inside your body for up to five days after sex. Morning-after pills work by temporarily stopping ovulation. If your ovary has already released an egg, it’s too late, the emergency contraception won’t keep you from getting pregnant, according to Planned Parenthood. So, it’s best to calculate your fertile window, four days before you ovulate, and avoid unprotected sex during that time. Also, another myth taking the morning after pill does not cover you for unprotected text AFTER taking the pill! It’s not a preventative. To look at the various options available and decide the best method to suit your needs and lifeestle, please talk to your local GP or local sexual health clinic.
You had more unprotected sex after you take EC:
A dose of EC is not a get-out-of-jail-free card, and ovulation is just delayed, not stopped, so further acts of unprotected sex put you at the risk of getting pregnant.
If you take the morning-after pill and then have unprotected sex, you’re cutting into the usual window of effectiveness. It works best when taken as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse.
Taking emergency contraception before you have unprotected sex is not going to offer maximum protection going forward because sperm can live and survive inside the fallopian tube for up to five days after ejaculation. Condoms are recommended overall to over a higher chance of not getting pregnant and prevent STI’s and STD’s.
“Sometimes, after lust hits us the next big step is an unwanted pregnancy.”
Unplanned pregnancies are growing very common in ages between 15-17, and as a result, we have hit shows now on MTV: ’16 & Pregnant’, ‘Teen Mom’ or ‘Teen Mom 2’. Not to say celebrities don’t mess up too, here are a few celebs who have had accidental pregnancies and couldn’t be happier:
Kylie Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Jamie Lynn Spears, Tori Spelling, Nicole Richie, Jessica Alba, Megan Fox, Amber Rose, Halle Berry and Jessica Simpson