Three side effects of the morning after pill

A contraceptive is any method, drug, or device used to prevent pregnancy. Women can choose from different options, some more effective than others in preventing pregnancy. Not only will it help us avoid an unwanted pregnancy, but they also help prevent sexually transmitted infections.

According to the Office on Women's Health (OASH), these are some of the contraceptive methods that we can find, in order from the most effective to the least effective in preventing pregnancy:

•Female and male sterilization. Prevents pregnancy for the rest of life through surgery or a medical procedure.

• Reversible contraceptives. Intrauterine devices or hormonal implants that the doctor inserts only once and that last from three to ten years.

•Short-term hormonal methods. Here would enter the pill, minipills, patch, injection, intravaginal ring.

• Barrier methods. Condoms, diaphragms, sponge or cervical cap.

Prevents pregnancy, but does not interrupt it

There are some more popular contraceptive methods. This is the case of the morning after pill. It is an emergency contraceptive used to reduce the risk of pregnancy after unprotected penetrative sex. And it should not be used regularly, according to the Ministry of Health.

The morning after pill should only be used in an extreme situation, which could lead to an unwanted pregnancy. That is, when you have not used any contraceptive method or, having used it, you have had a problem such as: condom breakage, retention of the condom in the vagina, forgetting the usual contraceptive pill or misuse of other contraceptive methods.

The pill in question is a hormonal drug that prevents or delays ovulation and in most cases prevents pregnancy, but never interrupts it. But it is not abortive, nor does it produce any problem or injury to the embryo in the event that there is already a pregnancy. It can be used by all women throughout the fertile stage of their lives.

Does not protect against sexually transmitted infections

According to Health, the treatment consists of taking 1 tablet of 1500 mcg. You have to take it as soon as possible. In fact, it is best to do it in the first 24 hours. It can be taken up to 72 hours, but its effect decreases the longer the intake is delayed. Another question is what to do if two hours have elapsed since taking it and we vomit. In that case, it will have to be taken again.

In addition, a couple of considerations must be taken into account. This contraceptive method does not protect against HIV/AIDS or other transmitted infections and does not protect you from the risk of pregnancy in subsequent sexual relations.

Side effects of the morning after pill

Regarding the feared side effects of the morning after pill, these are rare, weak and disappear quickly, explain the health authorities. However, nausea, headache and menstrual disorders may appear.

As the gynecologist Ezequiel Pérez Campos explains to Efe, "it has mild side effects, it will completely alter the period because we do not allow ovulation to occur in a physiological and chronologically ordered way."

The specialist adds that “the day after, if hormonal contraception is being used, it can be maintained to avoid confusion and non-compliance, but until the period appears we will not have contraceptive security, because the hormone receptors are blocked” .

This information does not replace in any case the diagnosis or prescription by a doctor. It is important to go to a specialist when symptoms appear in case of illness and never self-medicate. Read also

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