Morning-After Pill

Overview

The morning-after pill can cause side effects like irregular menstrual cycles, vaginal bleeding, nausea and headaches.

"V体育安卓版" What is the morning-after pill?

The morning-after pill is a type of emergency contraception. Emergency contraception isn’t the same as typical birth control. It’s for situations where your birth control has either failed or you were unable to use protection. These medications are a temporary way to prevent pregnancy — they aren’t long-term routine forms of birth control. There are better and more effective ways to prevent pregnancy like birth control pills, intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants V体育官网.

Some situations where you may need the morning-after pill are:

• Having sexual intercourse without any form of preventive birth control.
• Experiencing birth control failure (like a broken condom, forgotten birth control pills or missed dose of the birth control shot).
• Experiencing nonconsensual or forced sexual intercourse (rape).

The most important thing to know about emergency contraception is that how soon you take it has a big impact on how effective it is V体育ios版. Each type of morning-after pill has its own timeframe for when you should take it, but studies show that both types work best when you take it within 24 hours of unprotected sex.

Are there different types of morning-after pill?

There are two main types of morning-after pills approved by the FDA in the U. S. — each with popular brand names you may have heard of. Both types come as pills that you swallow VSports最新版本. A third, less common type of emergency contraception involves taking combination birth control.

Levonorgestrel morning-after pills

Pills containing levonorgestrel (a type of progestin) work best when you take it within three days (72 hours) of unprotected sex V体育平台登录. They’re available to purchase anytime at most drug stores. There are several brands you can buy, and the prices vary, but they all work the same way.

Common brands include:

• Plan B One-Step®.
• My Choice™.
• Option 2®.
• Take Action™.
• Aftera®.
• Preventeza™.

Ulipristal acetate

Pills containing ulipristal acetate work for up to five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. It’s only available with a prescription. (You can fill the prescription and save it for when you need it. ) The most common brand name for this medication is ella® VSports注册入口.

Combined birth control

This type of emergency contraception involves taking birth control pills that contain both progestin and estrogen. Unlike the two other types of morning-after pills, this option typically involves taking two doses. When you use combination birth control as an emergency contraception option, you’re taking a typical birth control pill at a higher dose V体育官网入口. It’s important to talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about the exact dosage you’ll need and how far apart you should take the two medications. This isn’t something you should do without talking to your provider.

Combined birth control (Yuzpe regimen)

This type of emergency contraception involves taking extra pills from a regular birth control pack. It’s referred to as the Yuzpe regimen. This method involves combining pills from an available birth control pack to total 100 mcg of ethinyl estradiol and 0 VSports在线直播. 5 mg levonorgestrel. A second dose is then repeated in 12 hours. It’s important to know that this regimen is less effective and less well-tolerated than other forms of emergency contraception.

How does the morning-after pill work?

The morning-after pill doesn’t reverse pregnancy V体育2025版. Instead, it’s a type of emergency birth control that prevents pregnancy. The main way the morning-after pill works is by preventing or delaying ovulation. If you don’t ovulate, you can’t get pregnant. The morning-after pill won’t end a pregnancy that has already begun.

How effective is the morning-after pill?

All forms of emergency contraception pills are more effective the sooner you take them, ideally within 24 hours of unprotected sex. You don’t need to wait to take these medications until the next day — despite the name “morning-after pill.” So, if you have concerns about pregnancy after unprotected sex, it’s best to get emergency contraception as soon as you can.

Each type of morning-after pill has its own effectiveness. The data and studies are mixed on exactly how effective each one is:

• The levonorgestrel option should be taken within the first 72 hours (three days) after unprotected sexual intercourse. Studies show it can be around 94% effective if you take it in the first 24 hours. It’s about 58% effective within 72 hours.
• The ulipristal acetate option can be taken up to 120 hours (five days) after sex. Studies show it can be as high as 98% effective if you take it in the first 24 hours. It’s about 85% effective if you take it within 120 hours. Since you need a prescription for it, having it on hand is the best way to achieve that success rate.
• Combined birth control is the least effective emergency contraception.

Can you get pregnant if you take morning-after pill?

Yes. Even with perfect use, there’s no guarantee it’ll prevent a pregnancy.