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The morning after pill is a method of emergency contraception recently become a non-prescription drug (drug category SOP).
According to scientific evidence gathered by the World Health Organization, which defines the morning after pill as one supportive contraception method (ed. in reference to the fact that its use as a contraceptive it is not to be considered habitual but as an “aid” in cases where other methods are not used in the correct way) to be used as soon as possible following a unprotected sexual intercourse, can prevent 95% of unwanted pregnancies if taken within three / five days, depending on the hormonal formulations, from unprotected intercourse.
We asked the Dr. Graziana Ascani, specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology, to clarify some doubts that gravitate around taking the morning-after pill.
What is it and when to take it
“The morning after pill can be defined interception pill (or interceptive pill), which is a form of contraception after intercourse at risk of pregnancy – explains the expert – The morning after pill should therefore hired as soon as possible after the unsafe intercourse “.
If the effectiveness of the morning-after pill it is maximum in the first 12 hours, it is however possible to take it within 72 hours or 120 hours depending on the hormonal formulations. In particular:
- the morning-after pill based on the active ingredient levonorgestrel maintains a certain degree of effectiveness if taken within 3 days of unprotected intercourse;
- that based on ulipistral acetate it can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse. The effectiveness of ulipristal acetate is three times higher than that of levonorgestrel if the pill is taken in the first 24 hours.
In general, however, the more time passes between intercourse and taking the contraceptive, the more likely ovulation is to occur. This is why it is important proceed promptly after intercourse judged to be at risk of unwanted pregnancy, i.e .:
- when no contraceptive method has been used;
- when there has been the failure or incorrect use of another contraceptive method, such as slipping or la condom break, a forgetting to take the oral contraceptive pill or failure to interrupt coitus with ejaculation in the vagina or on the external genitals.
How to get it
“Until recently one was needed medical prescription to get the morning-after pill. Today every woman (ed. Even minors, in the case of preparations containing the active ingredient ulipristal acetate) has the right to request it directly at the pharmacy and obtain it “explains the expert.
By law, therefore, today you can get the morning after pill by simply requesting it at the pharmacy without the need for a prescription. An important milestone for the protection of the physical and psychological health of women and adolescents, considering that, as also revealed by a survey on emergency contraception (SWG-Health Communication), 70% of girls aged between 18 and 24 years of age considers it a useful aid in emergencies after unsafe intercourse or a contraceptive that has not worked properly.
The same survey also revealed some confusion between morning after pill and abortion pill, two completely different pharmaceutical preparations both in composition and in use and purpose:
- the morning-after pill is called emergency contraception and has an anti-ovulatory action: in practice, stops ovulation before it occurs. Since it does not interrupt the pregnancy but prevents it, it cannot be considered abortive;
- the abortion pill, known as RU-486instead, it is used to terminate an ongoing pregnancy (specifically within the first 9 weeks) and is a form of pharmacological abortion. To access this preparation it is necessary to go to a family clinic, from your family doctor or gynecologist, or at a facility that carries out voluntary termination of pregnancy (IVG).
How to use it
One of the most frequently asked questions about the morning after pill concerns how to take it.
“The morning-after pill must be taken once, in a period of time as close as possible to the relationship considered at risk. Once taken, after a few days it should appear a menstruation. This happens in 90/95% of cases. If menstruation does not appear, you must undergo a gynecological check-up. Even if the absence of menstruation does not necessarily mean that the pill did not work »explains Dr. Ascani.
Compared to frequency with which it can be taken, given that there is no valid and absolute answer for all women, it is good:
- do not take the morning-after pill within the same menstrual cycle: an excessively high hormone dose in such a short time could have important repercussions on the menstrual cycle.
- avoid taking the morning-after pill for several consecutive months.
If every woman is free to decide how many times to take the morning-after pill in her life, then the important thing is that it is aware of any side effects of this drug. In case of doubts, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or gynecologist.
Side effects
Although generally well tolerated, even the morning-after pill can sometimes cause side effects.
Specifically, «the side effects of the morning after pill are the same as those of the contraceptive pill. Whereas the morning after pill has an obviously higher dosage than the birth control pill. Therefore, among the possible side effects there are the most classic of the pill: from headache, nausea or dry mouth »explains Dr. Ascani.
«I do not recommend hiring in cases where there is one familiarity with thrombophilia or to those who have already had cardiovascular, vascular or hypertension problems. It is also good to remember that there are some drugs that decrease the effect estroprogestinics, such as barbiturates or some types of antibiotic such as, for example, amoxicillin “concludes the expert.
In any case, in the presence of specific conditions or in any doubt, it is good to consult your doctor or gynecologist.
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