Morning After Pill

Morning after Pills (Emergency Contraception)

Morning after pills MUST be taken within 120 hours (the sooner the better!) of unprotected intercourse in order to be effective. If you do nothing, some researchers say your chances of becoming pregnant may fall between 2% and 30%.

In the unlikely event the morning after pill treatment fails, most experts working in the fields of high-risk pregnancy and genetics feel exposure to contraceptive hormones in early pregnancy does not pose an undue risk of causing abnormalities in the pregnancy. Nonetheless, A WOMAN WHO WOULD CONTINUE A PREGNANCY IF THE TREATMENT FAILED, SHOULD NOT TAKE THE MORNING AFTER PILL.

While this treatment is not meant for continuous birth control, it may be repeated several times a year, even several weeks apart, for emergency situations.

Emergency Contraception is a combination of hormones found in certain birth control pills, and often called morning after pills. If you had unprotected intercourse midway through your menstrual cycle and want to reduce the likelihood of becoming pregnant, you may want to consider the morning after pills.

Basically, this combination of hormones works in three ways. They prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg. They make it difficult for sperm to meet an egg. They change the lining of the uterus (womb) in such a way that if an egg is fertilized by a sperm, the fertilized egg may not attach and develop further. These pills, however, do not prevent pregnancy 100% of the time. While there is no refund if these pills fail, the cost of the emergency contraceptive pills will be deducted from the cost of an abortion if you choose to terminate this pregnancy at Hope Clinic.

You may have nausea from the pills. It is usually mild and stops within a day or so after treatment. Taking Dramamine (an over-the-counter motion sickness medication) or having something to eat or drink before you take the pills can help prevent nausea. Dramamine can make you drowsy. If you vomit within 30 minutes after taking your first pills, take your next dose of pills. Call the clinic as soon as possible, you will need to take additional pills to make up for the ones lost in vomiting. If you can’t keep the pills down the treatment won't work. You may also experience some breast tenderness and a headache.

Spotting after you take these pills is nothing to worry about. Your next menstrual period should begin sometime within the next 2 or 3 weeks. If your period has not started in 3 weeks, or if you have an unusual period (lighter or shorter than usual), please call The Hope Clinic because this means you might be pregnant. We suggest you return to Hope Clinic in 10-12 days for a pregnancy test or purchase a home test to confirm that you are not pregnant.

Watch for pill danger signs which would indicate rare but serious side effects. While complications are not likely with the morning after hormone treatment, if you have any of the following danger signs, seek immediate medical treatment.

		Severe abdominal or pelvic pain

		Chest pain - severe shortness of breath

		Severe headaches

		Eye problems - blurred vision. loss of vision, blind spots

		Severe leg pain in calf or thigh

		Arm pain

Get started immediately on some form of birth control. If you do not have a regular health care provider, our receptionist will be happy to refer you to a physician or clinic near you.