Morning-After Pills

What is it?

The morning-after pill is a way to prevent pregnancy up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. It is emergency contraception, and should not be relied on as a regular form of contraception.

When should it be used?

If you take a chance with unprotected sex and regret it in the morning, if a condom breaks, if a diaphragm moves during sex, if you forget to take your birth control pills, if you are raped.

How does it work?

Emergency contraceptive pills are ordinary birth control pills containing the hormones estrogen and progestin. One dose is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, and another dose 12 hours after the first dose. This alters the normal hormonal cycle, preventing pregnancy.

However, doctors do not know exactly when the morning-after pill interrupts pregnancy -- it could be before or after fertilization. Women with objections to pregnancy termination therefore may not feel comfortable using the morning-after pill.

So I can just borrow a friend's pills and swallow a few extra?

No, it is important to consult a licensed clinician before using emergency contraception. The right combination of pills is important, and the side effects can be very unpleasant.

What kind of side effects?

Nausea, vomiting, breast tenderness, headaches, dizziness. About 50 percent of women who take the morning-after pill experience nausea, about 20 percent vomit. The other side-effects are less common, and no side effect will last longer than a day or two.

Why is the morning-after pill called "the nation's best-kept secret"?

This is mostly because no company has applied to the Food and Drug Administration to market an emergency contraception. This means that the pill cannot be advertised as a "morning-after" alternative, even though it has been approved by the FDA for ordinary contraceptive.

It is completely legal, however, for a clinician to prescribe an approved drug for an unlabeled purpose -- just as doctors can prescribe the pill to regulate a woman's period, so they can prescribe the pill as emergency contraception.

Is it safe?

Yes, as safe as ordinary contraceptive pills. In studies of emergency contraception, no serious side effects have been found.

There is, however, a slight chance that a woman may become pregnant, even if she takes the morning-after pill. Taking hormones during pregnancy can harm the embryo.

How effective is it?

A woman is most likely to get pregnant during ovulation, when the likelihood is 25 percent. The morning-after pill reduces this risk to about five percent.

Where can I get it?

The Emergency Contraception home page, operated by the Office of Population Research at Princeton University, contains a nationwide directory of clinicians, hospitals, private doctors and family planning clinics offering emergency contraception.

True Story:

One night I had sex with my girlfriend, and for some reason it was just really crazy sex -- you know, sometimes that just happens. I'm not sure why it happened that night. Anyway, when I finally pulled out, I saw that the condom was busted open. We both freaked. I thought I felt something different while we were doing it, but I guess I was too into it to realize that it broke. We talked about it for awhile, and she decided that she would go to the doctor the next day and get the morning after pill. She took it, and it made her a little nauseous. The whole thing was a kind of scary, but I think we both felt better knowing that we didn't have to worry about her getting pregnant.
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