Morning After Pill

The”morning after” pill or the emergency contraceptive helps prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure, such as a condom that slipped off. It is available over the counter at pharmacies to women and men at least 18 years old. It can be taken up to 3 days after intercourse but is most effective the sooner that it is taken.

How Does It Work?
The morning after pill is a very high dose birth control pill. It works in the same way as a normal birth control pill, though only for a very short period of time.

Effectiveness
If the morning after pill is taken within 72 hours after intercourse, it can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 80 to 90% with approximately 2 out of 100 women becoming pregnant after use compared with 8 out of 100 if the morning after pill was not used.

Advantages
The advantages of the morning after pill are that it is effective as an emergency backup contraceptive and it is available over the counter at pharmacies without a prescription.

Disadvantages
The morning after pill should not be used as a primary form of birth control. If 100 women take the morning after pill, 2 of them are likely to become pregnant with each use. The morning after pill can be expensive, so it will pay to shop around.

Side Effects
The morning after pill is a high dose of estrogen and progesterone and can cause the following side effects immediately after taking:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Cramping

Women who are allergic to levonorgesterol should not use the morning after pill.

For Further Information
Visit the PlanB® website: http:// www.PlanBOneStep.com