Did the condom burst? Or did you forget to take your pill? – In the event of contraceptive failures, the morning-after pill can prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
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The emergency contraceptive pill is an oral drug. It can prevent a pregnancy after unprotected sex or after the failure of another contraceptive method. The morning-after pill can be taken if ovulation or fertilisation have not yet taken place.
You will not get the morning-after pill directly at VenusMed, but you can get it from any pharmacy. Please note that for the best effect it should be taken as early as possible after unprotected sex.
Effect of the emergency contraceptive pill
The morning-after pill consists of a hormone tablet that delays ovulation. You can take it anytime in your cycle, but the drug only works if ovulation or fertilisation have not yet taken place. As soon as the egg has implanted in the uterus, the drug loses its effectiveness. Therefore, you should take the pill as early as possible after unprotected sex.
You can get the morning-after pill in a pharmacy, where there are two different versions available. One of them is over-the-counter and can be taken up to 48 hours after unprotected sex. The other one can be used up to 72 hours “after” – you can get it with a prescription from a gynecologist.
After taking the emergency pill, your menstruation usually starts at the usual time and in its usual strength. Sometimes it can start a few days earlier or later, but that is normal. However, should your period be overdue for more than 5 days, you should take a pregnancy test to rule out a possible pregnancy.
Furthermore, (even if you are using the birth control pill) after taking the morning-after pill, you should also use a barrier method (e.g. condom, diaphragm) until you get your period. Please also note that the emergency pill should not be swallowed more than once in a cycle. This is because it causes a very high level of hormones in the body and can cause cycle disorders if taken too often.
The morning-after pill does not cause an abortion
Both versions of the emergency contraceptive pill have different active ingredients: namely either levonorgestrel or ulipristal acetate. Both substances inhibit or delay ovulation and thus fertilisation. However, if these have already taken place, neither of the two drugs can prevent an unwanted pregnancy. Hence, the morning-after pill does not cause an abortion.
Side effects of the emergency contraceptive pill
Like any other medicine, the morning-after pill may also have side effects – but these are harmless and rather rare. Possible few side effects can include symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, a feeling of tightness in the chest, headaches, or fatigue. In rare cases, diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding, spotting, or menstrual pain can occur. However, the drug has no influence on fertility.
FAQs about the morning-after pill
The emergency contraceptive pill can be taken anytime during the cycle – regardless of whether you are using the “normal” birth control pill or not. It does not matter if you use do or do not use the latter, you should also use a barrier method (e.g. condom, diaphragm) until you get your first menstruation after taking the morning-after pill.
The emergency pill should be taken as early as possible after unprotected sex. This is important because then the drug can delay ovulation earlier and thus has a higher chance in preventing the egg’s fertilisation. Depending on the respective active substance, the drug can be swallowed a maximum of 48 to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse.
However, if the pill is taken too late, or if fertilisation has already taken place and the egg has implanted in the uterus, the drug will not work. Should your period not start four weeks after using the emergency contraceptive pill, you should take a pregnancy test to rule out an unwanted pregnancy.
The morning-after pill is a hormone tablet that delays ovulation after it is taken and thus prevents fertilisation of the egg and therefore a pregnancy – when used in time. It delays ovulation, but naturally this only works if ovulation has not yet taken place. Therefore, the drug should be used as soon as possible after unprotected sex. Please note that the pill should not be taken more than once in a cycle, because it is only a means of emergency contraception.
No contraceptive is 100% effective. When it comes to the morning-after pill, 9 out of 1,000 women get pregnant despite taking it correctly. However, the drug is most effective if it is taken as early as possible after unprotected sex. This is because if ovulation has already taken place, it loses its ovulation-delaying effect.
Terminology
For doctors, medical terms are important and a matter of course. However, the terminology can often puzzle patients. In our glossary we explain the medical terms which are often used in our clinic environment.
Contact
You can simply contact us by phone on +43 1 890 80 70, or via email at info@venusmed.at. From Mo-Fr between 11 am and 5 pm you can also directly come by VenusMed in the medical centre Schwedenplatz, Laurenzerberg 2, 1010 Vienna.