Emergency contraceptives are drugs that minimize the risk of unwanted pregnancy if you have already had unprotected intercourse.
Emergency contraceptives should be taken according to the following scheme – no later than five days after unprotected sexual contact has occurred. Of course, the sooner the drug is taken, the more effective its work will be. According to statistics, emergency contraceptives reduce the chance of an unwanted pregnancy by about eighty percent, but even they do not give an absolute guarantee that conception will not occur.
Emergency contraceptives are hormonal drugs, so in this sense they can be compared with oral contraceptives, the mechanism of action of which is based on the cessation of ovulation or on the formation of a barrier directly to the fertilization of the egg. Essentially, emergency contraceptives are supposed to prevent the attachment (implantation) of a fertilized egg in the uterine cavity, however, there is no evidence for this.
Emergency contraceptives do not involve artificial termination of pregnancy if the fetus is already conceived. Meanwhile, of course, pregnant women should never take such drugs.
There are a lot of emergency contraceptive medications. Probably the most common contraceptive of this kind is the intrauterine device, which is inserted within five days of unprotected intercourse. The intrauterine device is especially effective in combination with oral contraceptives.
Well-known emergency contraceptives, such as plan B or postinor , can be taken several times at intervals of twelve hours. The number of tablets that make up one dose of the drug is regulated by the specific manufacturer. It is worth remembering that both times it is necessary to use emergency contraceptives from the same manufacturer.
The first “portion” of the drug should be taken as early as possible, the more desirable the result. At the same time, it should be taken into account that emergency contraceptives can cause a deterioration in well-being, consisting in nausea and vomiting, disruption of the intestines. Most often, these symptoms occur when combining different drugs. Antiemetics can be taken an hour before taking your chosen emergency contraceptive to reduce the chance of side effects.
In the case of repeated administration of the drug, subject to the gag reflex to the first dose, the antiemetic must be drunk one hour before contraception. In addition, the second dose may be taken in the form of a vaginal tablet. That is, the tablet is placed in the vagina as deeply as possible, and the active substances enter the body through the mucous membrane of the genital organs, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract.
If vomiting has opened for the second dose of the drug, then it can no longer be taken, since they will not give any protective effect, but will only cause a gag reflex again.
Emergency contraceptives – the consequences of taking
– there may be menstrual irregularities, expressed in a delay or early onset of discharge;
– discharge during menstruation can be more or less abundant;
– when examining a gynecologist after taking the drug, it is imperative to inform the doctor about the drug used;
– if twenty days after taking emergency contraception, the menstrual cycle has not begun, and pregnancy has not occurred, it is urgent to visit a gynecologist;
– you should definitely use contraceptives in the presence of sexual contact both before and after the menstrual cycle.