What is the morning after pill

According to *Plan B®, one of the most prescribed "morning after pill's, by taking this prescribed medication within 72 hours of having sex, you can lower your risk of pregnancy by 82%.

As with all medications, there are side effects and issues you should consider before taking this "morning after pill."   The "morning after pill" is an extremely high dosage of chemical hormones.  It contains the same chemical hormones found in some types of birth control. 

Many women don’t know how this pill works.  The MAP works in one of three ways, and the difference depends upon where the woman is in her cycle.  If she has not yet ovulated, taking a MAP can work as a contraceptive and suppress ovulation. 

If she has ovulated, it can prevent the sperm from coming into contact with the egg.

The last way in which a MAP may work is a little more complicated.  Conception or fertilization is the term used when the sperm joins the egg.  When this happens, human life has begun.  The embryo moves through the fallopian tube and implants in the uterus about a week later.  If a MAP is taken after an egg has been fertilized it may not allow the embryo to implant in the uterus.  This would be a very early abortion.

Commonly reported side effects from taking a "morning after pill":

Known risks from taking a "morning after pill":   Women who have diabetes should be monitored while taking this medication.  According to the manufactures of Plan B®, women with pelvic inflammatory disease should not take this medication, except under a physician’s careful monitoring.  Unfortunately, a lot of women don’t know if they have diabetes and/or don’t know if they have pelvic inflammatory disease.  


After taking *Plan B®, there is also an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy.  An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that is occurring anywhere outside of the uterus.  The most common type of ectopic pregnancy is sometimes referred to as a tubal pregnancy because it is one that is occurring in the woman’s fallopian tube.  If this goes unnoticed, a woman could be at serious risk.  Even a small delay in diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy can be fatal. 


Morning After Pills do not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases.  It is generally recommended that any sexually active woman seek testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

 

Another major problem concerning the Morning After Pill is the effect it could have if you are already pregnant.  A woman may have unprotected sex with her partner and rush to get the morning-after pill; however, when she takes it, she may be pregnant from a previous time she had sex.  According to manufacturers of this medication, women who have a known or suspected pregnancy should not take the pills.

 

*Information regarding the Plan B® was obtained from OptionLine.org and the Plan B® website.  When referring to "the morning after pill" or "MAP", we are referring to Plan B®.  Other morning after pills may have different medical information listed.  Plan B® is one of the most commonly prescribed pills.