Sex is said to be the ultimate expression of love and affection. After a series of right signals, a man and a woman end up being alone together and perform intercourse. Everything goes well that night but what if everything was just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing and they don’t use any kind of protection at all? What if you were abused or just forced? Reproductive health is very important these days and responsibility in having children is very important. If you were not able to use any type of protection when you engaged in sex, then it is time to take the day after pill.
Contraception plays a very important role in being responsible individuals. The day after pill is a perfect example. This is considered as an emergency contraceptive. Â Here are some of the facts about the day after pill that you may want to discuss with your partner or doctor:
1. After sex
When you take a day after pill, this means that it will be taken after you have sex. The sooner you take it, the more effective it is. But the day after pill could still be taken up to a maximum of five days after you had intercourse. This will still prevent you from being pregnant.
2. Levonelle
This day after pill can be taken up to three days after you had intercourse. It has levonorgestrel that is commonly found in contraceptive pills that you religiously take every month. Levonelle doesn’t allow your ovaries to release eggs and prevents the egg from embedding in the uterus. Some side effects of this day after pill are vomiting, headaches, pain in lower abdomen, irregular mid-menstruation, and nausea. You should not take this if you have any kind of liver disease or porphyria
3. EllaOne
EllaOne is a day after pill that could take up to five days after you had sex. It is also known as ulipristal acetate. This works by blocking the progesterone receptors, therefore preventing the release of eggs and altering the uterine environment. This is more expensive that Levonelle. It’s common side effects are back ache, muscle pain, abdominal pain, nausea, and headache. It could also cause irregular menstrual flow and less effectiveness of your contraceptive pills. It is said that if you do take EllaOne and you vomit within three hours, then you should take another one. You should not use this day after pill at all if you have severe asthma.
4. Effectivity
The day after pill is very effective especially if you take it early. The failure marks down to below ten percent.
5. For who?
The day after pill is a very helpful drug that could save lives from being ruined. It is often given by doctors to women who have been raped or got involved in sex because of narcotics or alcohol. This could also be useful for couples who use condoms exclusively during sex. The day after pill ensures that there can be another life after a traumatic experience such as forced intercourse or intercourse with violence. This could also help starting couples be more responsible with raising their families.
6. Sources
You could get a day after pill from the doctor you always see for check-ups but you have to stress that it is really an emergency that you have the prescription for it so that you won’t be scheduled the following week. If you can’t get a hold of an immediate appointment, you could still get the day after pill from family planning medics, doctors from youth clinics, doctors from medical officers, school health centers, and other private doctors in various clinics (walk-in). You could also get it from your nearest drug store without a prescription. But make sure to check with them if they dispense a day after pill without the needed prescription. Some health centers that are funded by the government may also give you a day after pill for free. You just have to be interviewed and oriented.
7. Warnings
If you have taken the day after pill but your period didn’t come on time, see your doctor right away. When you decide to take the day after pill, this only protects you from that particular intercourse and not the succeeding days of your period. Just make sure that you use another form of contraception such as a barrier method or just abstain.
Keep in mind that your health always comes first. Reproductive health and responsibility are very important in these financially demanding times. The day after pill could be a dependable resort especially for the abused women. But if you’re not abused and you know that you are not protected, better not have sex instead to avoid unnecessary side effects.