You had sex. You think you might be pregnant.
Now What?
The morning after pill (also known as emergency contraception) is promoted as a quick and easy answer for unprotected sex, but there are some important things you should know before taking the pill.
"What Exactly is the Morning After Pill?"
The Morning After Pill, also know as "Plan B ®", is a so-called emergency contraceptive (EC) contains the same hormone as regular birth control pills, but the dosage prescribed is several times the strength of a daily birth control pill.1 It needs to be taken within the first 72 hours after intercourse to prevent a pregnancy. It can only be purchased over the counter. If the women is under the age of 18 years, she must have a written prescription from a medical doctor. *
The morning after pill is not for routine use. Failure rates and side effects increase with repeated use. 2,3
"How Does the Morning After Pill Work?"
The first two pills must be taken within 72 hours after intercourse, followed by two more pills 12 hours later.
There are four possible mechanisms by which Preven can influence a pregnancy:
- Stop the release of an egg from the ovary.
- Prevent the fertilization of an egg (the uniting of sperm with the egg).
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Prevent the already fertilized egg (embryo) from attaching to the uterus (womb). This causes an already fertilized egg to be expelled form the womb, causing an early abortion.
Important: The morning after pill will not work as intented if your pregnancy has already proceeded to the point of implantation.8 You should take a pregnancy test before taking the morning after pill.
When does pregnancy begin?
From the moment the sperm and egg unite in the fallopian tube and fertilization occurs, the genetic make-up of the baby is complete, including the sex of the child. This is the beginning of pregnancy.
"Are There Health Risks to Taking the Morning After Pill?"
YES. Many women who take the Morning After Pill experience flu-like symptoms. This includes:
- 50 percent experience nausea
- 20 percent experience fatique
- 20 percent experience headaches
- 20 percent experience vomiting
The pill is a chemically induced alteration of the female reproductive system. Because of the way the female body works, it is very difficult to limit the effects of this chemically induced change just to the uterus. Other risks include:
- Menstrual bleeding and abdominal pain
- Infertility
- Dizziness
- Breast tenderness
- Blood clot formation
- Etopic pregnancy (in a fallopian tube, which can be quite dangerous, even life threatening, to women's health)
"There is no long-term studies to show whether women will be permanently damaged, or risk such dieseases as cancer, from these chemicals being given in such high doses." Further research needs to be completed to determine potential dangerous side effects.
Another important health risk to consider is that the "Morning After Pill" does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).*
"How Effective is the Morning After Pill?"
The morning after pill is not 100% effective:
- The progestin-only (known as Plan B ®) can be up to 89% efffective.7
- An estrogen/progestin combination pill can be up to 75% effective. 5
- Both pills can be taken up to 72 hours after having sexual intercourse, but are most effective if used within 24 hours.13
"It Wouldn't be Like I Was Getting an Abortion, Right?"
The fertilization of an egg can occur as early as 15 minutes after intercourse. This fertilized egg contains all 46 human chromosomes. These chromosomes are a complex genetic design for every detail of the prenatal human development. This genetic design includes hair color, sex, eye color, skin tone, intellectual level, talents and height. "Nothing changes later except your location (in or outside the womb) and how big you are."
If the Morning After Pill is taken after the egg is fertilized, it may not be able to implant due to the effects of the hormones which alter the lining of the uterine wall. Therefore, the human embryo may not be able to survive the harsh conditions. Under these circumstances, the Morning After Pill is "not a contraceptive, it's a very, very early abortifacient drug."
Emergency contraceptives never prevent STDs. The only real prevention (and protection) against STDs or pregnancy is abstinence.
"Real prevention is something one does before the fact, not after the act."*
"What are My Options?"
Only eight out of one hundred women will become pregnant after a single act of intercourse during the middle two weeks of the menstrual cycle (during the approximate time of ovulation).10 By taking the morning after pill, you may be putting yourself at risk for no reason. If you are pregant, there are other positive options besides taking immediate steps to end your pregnancy. The caring people at CPCS are available to answer your questions and help you make an informed decision.
Contact us or call 800-337-9306.
* Resource: Pregnancy Resource Ministry
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"Emergency Contraceptives are Linked to Etopic Pregnancy Risk" Practice Nurse. 02/14/03
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"Progestins-For Contraceptive Use" Advice for the Patient Drug Information in Lay language 2005