Birth Control
Birth control
Methods of Birth control
Physical methods
Barrier methods
Hormonal methods
Ormeloxifene (Centchroman)
Intrauterine methods
Emergency contraception
Induced abortion
Sterilization
Behavioral methods
Fertility awareness
Coitus interruptus
Avoiding vaginal intercourse
Abstinence
Lactational
Abortion
Ease of use and Side effects of Birth control Methods
Methods in development
Male contraceptive
Religious views on birth control
Birth control education
Birth control providers
Birth control activists
Critics of contraception
Home » Emergency contraception

Emergency contraception
Few POPs or combined pills of high doses can be taken for the prevention of pregnancy after any other method of birth control fails or also a sexual act which has been performed without taking any protection. Emergency contraception that are hormone-based are also called “morning after pill” even though it is recommended to be taken within three days after the sexual act. Copper intra-uterine devices are one of the most-effective methods of emergency birth control. For the emergency purposes these devices have to be put in within a maximum of five days of the unprotected sexual act or after the birth control fails to act accordingly.
As Emergency contraception is used to stop the development of an egg which is fertilized, it is also considered as one type of abortion.

Emergency contraception, also known as “emergency postcoital contraception”, can be of various forms including:
  • Emergency contraceptive pills or ECPs
  • Intrauterine devices or IUDs
Emergency contraception is meant to be used occasionally, as the name suggests, when the main method of birth control fails. Emergency contraceptive methods are lawfully and medically accepted types of contraception as they act prior to the implantation.

Emergency contraceptive pills can include higher doses of the type of hormones that are contained in the usual combined pills. Used as an emergency method of birth control, the higher doses of the Emergency contraceptive pills can prove effective in pregnancy prevention. Mifepristone is another type of these pills but does not have progestins or estrogen and is believed to be a type of an anti-hormonal medicine.

Types of Emergency contraceptive pills: The emergency contraceptive pills containing only progestin, use levonorgestrel and are available worldwide under many brand names.
The Yuzpe regimen makes use of high doses of progestin and estrogen.
Based on its time of use, mifepristone is used as an abortifacient or as an emergency contraceptive pill.

Benefits of Emergency contraceptive pills: Levonorgestrel – Plan B lessens the risk of gestation from 8% to almost 1 %.
Yuzpe – Reduces the possibility of pregnancy by 75 %
Mifepristone – Diminishes the danger of pregnancy by 83%

Safety of Emergency contraceptive pills: No health condition is listed by the Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use of WHO for which the advantages of using Emergency contraceptive pills are overshadowed by the risks of using these. No limitations are there for using these pills in ectopic pregnancy or while breastfeeding. In conditions such as the major cardiovascular diseases, migraine, angina and serious liver problems, the benefits of using Emergency contraceptive pills compensate the risks of failure of the birth controls.

Side effects of using Emergency contraceptive pills:
  • Nausea
  • Abdominal pain
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Breast tenderness
  • Progestogen withdrawal bleeding due to increased doses of progestogen contained in levonorgestrel
  • Mifepristone intake prior to ovulation may postpone it by 3 to 4 days
You have got a clear idea about the Emergency contraception from our site birthcontrolhub.com. If you are inquisitive enough to know more about the other types of Methods of Birth Control just click on the other links on our site birthcontrolhub.com.