How to Use Morning After Pill in The Birth Control Purpose

Emergency contraception or the morning after pill is a hormonal treatment administered if another form of birth control has failed, or when no protection was used. There are many resemblances between the morning after pill and the regular hormonal pill since the ingredients are the same. The morning after pill should not replace a regular birth control method, because used frequently it can seriously impair health.

The morning after pill should be used as soon as possible after you have unprotected sex. Normally it can be used within three or five days after intercourse, but the sooner you act, the better for you. Manufacturers nevertheless warn that the efficiency can be influenced by the moment when you actually administer it. Do not mistake this birth control method for the abortion pill, because this is not the effect it produces. Emergency contraception simply prevents ovulation, and changes the lining of the uterus so that it cannot allow the egg to nest.

The morning after pill has similar side effects with the regular hormonal pill, and the efficiency rate is pretty high. The usual adverse reactions to hormonal treatments may appear nonetheless: nausea, headaches, breast tenderness and spotting. Read the list of instructions carefully and check the side effects in detail for your birth control purpose. The morning after pill should not be used by women who suffer from severe liver disease or porphyria. There are also drugs and herbal supplements that interact with the morning after pill decreasing its efficiency.

Get a drug prescription right away if you need the morning after pill. Don’t wait for a later appointment, and mention it is an emergency. The sooner you act, the higher the risk of unwanted pregnancy. In some states, you can also buy the morning after pill without prescription. The only downside is the cost, as the prices are a lot higher in pharmacies. Emergency contraception can be accessed freely with certain organizations, but you need to know where to call.

The morning after pill does not protect you for the entire menstrual cycle, and after you take it you are again exposed to the appearance of pregnancy if you don’t use another birth control method. Do not take more emergency contraceptives during the same menstrual cycle because of the serious adverse reactions. Rely on some serious birth control method or abstain from sex.

The Birth Control Shot is a Contraceptive Method Injected Intramuscularly

An easy to administrate contraceptive solution, the birth control shot makes a good choice for lots of couples all over the world. It contains progesterone only, with the hormone being slowly released into the body. The main impact of this hormone is to prevent ovulation, meaning that there will be no egg release monthly.

The efficiency range of the birth control shot is superior to that of the birth control pill. While with the pill, 8 in 100 couples get pregnant yearly, the rate is only 3 in 100 per year in the case of the birth control shot. The chances of getting pregnant are very high if you don’t administer the next shot on time.

You should also be aware of the fact that the birth control shot does not provide protection against STD. Plus, there are physiological changes that could be an inconvenience while using this birth control method. Normally included in the list of adverse reactions, you could be experiencing:
-irregular menstrual periods;
-headaches, breast tenderness and weight gain;
-mood changes and depression.

Overweight is the most difficult to fight back if it appears as a side effect, because hormonal imbalances are harder to correct. Other long-term side effects have been reported in relation to the use of the progesterone birth control shot. Thus, many women have developed osteoporosis by losing in bone density during the treatment.

In case you decide that the birth control shot is a good option for you, talk to your health care provider and make sure that your daily calcium intake is enough to support the hormonal treatment without loss of bone density. Moreover, fertility may be harder to recover after the long term use of the birth control shot. The fertility problem is not permanent, and women can recover in time, but difficulties could appear along the way.

Your doctor could also warn you about other potential problems and even advise against the shot in case she/he suspects an existing health condition. You should not administer it if you suffer from any of the following:

-headaches;
-disorders with blood coagulation;
-unexplained vaginal bleeding;
-thrombosis;
-cancer;
-if you suspect a pregnancy.

As for costs, the birth control shot is not expensive, not to mention that health insurance usually covers the expenses. The best advice you can get related to the shot is at your doctor’s office.

Last but not least, when using some other drugs or herbal supplements, it is important to rely on a supplementary birth control method because the risk of interferences leaves you unprotected against pregnancy.