The Morning After Pill
The morning after pill is a method of preventing pregnancy when contraception failed or was not used. A clinical assistant at College of Eastern Utah’s Wellness Center said that it is “very effective” when taken within 72 hours of sex, although it works better the sooner it is taken.
“I want people to know that it is not an abortion pill,” she said, “it stops conception from ever happening.” She said she wouldn’t recommend it as a regular birth control.
This archived article was written by: Jaimie Scoville
The morning after pill is a method of preventing pregnancy when contraception failed or was not used. A clinical assistant at College of Eastern Utah’s Wellness Center said that it is “very effective” when taken within 72 hours of sex, although it works better the sooner it is taken.
“I want people to know that it is not an abortion pill,” she said, “it stops conception from ever happening.” She said she wouldn’t recommend it as a regular birth control.
“It’s a quick, over-the-counter method for preventing pregnancy if a mistake happens,” she said, “if more women knew about it, it could prevent a lot of unwanted pregnancies.”
It is just a back up. If a couple were actually using a condom and the condom breaks, there is an option. If a woman was taking birth control and just forgot to take her pill, she has a back up. If a woman is raped, she has enough to worry about. Pregnancy doesn’t have to be one of them.
It’s called “Plan B” and it’s an extremely high dose of chemical hormones; the same chemical hormones found in many birth control pills. It’s a relatively new drug, which means that there haven’t been many tests to see how it affects the body.
According to optionline.org, some of the most commonly reported side effects are nausea, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, fatigue, menstrual charges, and breast tenderness. It also says that irregular periods are not unheard of. There could be heavier or lighter bleeding or your period could be delayed. It takes a while for your body to regulate itself again.
The pill also doesn’t protect against any sexually transmitted diseases.
Know how it works? It all depends on where the woman is in her menstrual cycle, says optionline.org. If she has not ovulated yet when she takes Plan B, then it suppresses ovulation. If she has, it can prevent the sperm from coming into contact with the egg. If it is taken after an egg has been fertilized, then it prevents the embryo from implantation in the uterus.
