Emergency Contraceptive Pills

Abstinence or consistent use of a dependable birth control method before or during sexual intercourse is the best way to protect yourself from an unplanned pregnancy. But sometimes circumstances do not fit our best intentions. Perhaps a condom broke or slipped off. Maybe you had sex when you didn't expect to and didn't use any birth control or maybe you forgot to take your birth control pills or were forced to have sex. If you have had unprotected intercourse and are certain you do not want to be pregnant, emergency contraceptive pills may be something to consider. This treatment provides birth control after sex and, though not advised as an ongoing method, may be a good choice in some circumstances.

Emergency Contraceptive Pills or "ECP's" consist of two doses of hormone pills which must be started within 72 hours of unprotected vaginal intercourse. The ECP's contain the same hormone as certain birth control pills and provide a short burst of hormone exposure that will either suppress ovulation or prevent implantation of a possible fertilized egg. These disruptions are temporary, lasting only a few days. If you've had unprotected intercourse, only once since your last menstrual period, and at least one of these unprotected times was more than 72 hours ago, you may already be pregnant in which case ECP's will not work.

Your intention to continue versus terminate an unplanned potential pregnancy may influence your decision to use ECP's or not in this possible situation. Though studies on ECP's demonstrate that they work well with no serious health problems reported, there can be some temporary minor side effects, the most common being nausea and vomiting. Women using this method could be at very slight risk of one of the dangerous or even fatal complications that have been reported in very rare cases with prolonged use of birth control pills including blood clots, heart attack or stroke, liver problems, gallbladder disease, and high blood pressure.

Visiting with a health care provider at the Health and Wellness Center can help you consider the pro's and con's of using ECP's. The emergency contraception prescribed at the Health and Wellness Center is called "Plan B." As the most recent version of the ECP, it is much less likely to cause side effects than previous brands. Serious side effects are extremely rare.

If you are in a situation where ECP's make sense, or you would like more information, call the Health and Wellness Center at 814-898-6217.