Girl To Girl

Is Emergency Contraception Safe for Your Health?

If you've had sex recently and doubt whether it was safe, you can use emergency contraception in the first 3-5 days, whatever the reason.
Emergency contraception comes in two types: pills and IUDs. They work differently so let's see what each of them does to understand how they might affect your body.
Emergency Contraceptive Pills
Commonly known as morning-after pills, these medicines work by preventing or delaying ovulation. Therefore, they have to be taken before ovulation starts. The egg won't show up or is delayed. The sperm waits in vain for 5 days and thus cannot fertilize the egg.
For both pills, it is important that you take them as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse.
There are 2 types of emergency contraception (EC) pills:
- Ulipristal acetate. It is effective up to 120 hours (5 days) after unprotected intercourse.
- Levonorgestrel. It is effective up to 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected intercourse.
After you've taken these pills, your next menstruation may be delayed. You should not have unprotected intercourse until the next menstruation (use a condom or don't have sex at all until your next period comes).
Pills containing ulipristal acetate are generally the most effective.
However, if you need emergency contraception because you forgot to take your "normal" pill, it seems that levonorgestrel may be more effective, especially if taken within 3 days after the forgotten pills and  intercourse. The action of ulipristal may be weakened by regular contraceptive pills you've taken earlier. Both types of pills for emergency contraception are safe and do not pose any major risk to your health and your fertility.
But they can have some side effects. After taking the pill, you may experience nausea, vomiting, spotting, or fatigue. These symptoms are caused by hormonal change and will normally resolve soon on their own.
If you vomit within two hours after taking the pill, it may now work. In this case, you can take anti-nausea medication and then take another dose of emergency pills (the same or different).
Combined pills cause nausea and vomiting more often than those containing only one active ingredient do.
Women shouldn't use emergency pills repeatedly for regular contraception. This can cause menstrual irregularities and diminish efficacy. If you'd like to start using birth control pills, ask your doctor which ones would fit you best.
Emergency IUD
A copper IUD is a small device that fits inside the uterus. It causes a chemical change in the environment making it impossible for the sperm to reach and fertilize the egg. The IUD cannot interrupt an established pregnancy.
It is effective up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse and is the most effective emergency contraceptive method (almost 100%). The additional advantage is that you can leave the IUD in the uterus and use it as regular contraception for 5 years and more.
In general, IUDs are safe for health. As for side effects, an IUD might cause some cramps and increase menstrual bleeding.
To have an IUD put in the uterus, you need to see a medical specialist. Women with certain conditions cannot use IUDs for medical reasons. This applies to both regular and emergency contraception. Consult your doctor to check if you can use an IUD.
Bottom line
Both pills and IUDs are safe and effective methods of emergency contraception. Note that none of them protects from STIs. If there was a risk of getting one during unprotected intercourse, it may be reasonable to get tested.

**See, there are plenty of safe and easy (and affordable!) ways to protect yourself against pregnancy. So if you think you're grown and mature enough to have sex, then be fucking adult about it and go the extra mile to use some protection so you don't get pregnant. There's birth control pills, IUDs, sponges, CONDOMS, female condoms, spermicide. There's many many ways to prevent pregnancy. Fucking be smart about it so you're not murdering an innocent unborn life all because you weren't responsible enough to wrap it up.

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I mainly point this towards those who continuously have unprotected sex and every single time they get pregnant they decide to abort it. That rubs me the wrong way and it absolutely disgusts me.

DISCLAIMER: Before all the snowflakes get triggered and start attacking me for having an opinion of my own, I must say that I do not frown upon every woman that has an abortion. I do, however, frown upon the dumbcunts like Whoopie Goldburg, that brags about all seventeen of her abortions. Then laughs about it. And then all her blind worshipers call her "brave".
Soldiers are brave. Police officers are brave. She is a murderer.

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I was raped. I understand the worry and the awful gut wrenching feeling of "oh my gosh, I hope to God that I am not pregnant with that monsters baby." However, abortion never did cross my mind.
And even though I am far too tiny to give birth and I have many health issues to where I know I would not be able to give a safe birth, if I was able to even carry it that far- that is why I use my brain that God gave me, and I have my husband wrap it up. Even though i'm allergic to latex, we find ones that work or I deal with the itching and burning.
I hear the excuse of "oh, it doesn't feel the same with a condom on" here's my two answeres to that: 1. it'll never feel the same when you catch an STD (or worse) from hitting it raw. and 2: Trojan makes bareskin and they are my personal favourite, they actually feel like there's nothing there yet they're very durable.
I am also on birth control pills and have been for almost a decade because I suffer from endometriosis.

Feel free to leave your own opinions and/or questions. Do not attack others for their thoughts, beliefs, and/or opinions. This is not a place for hate, however, I do encourage freedom of speech because its our right; it's in the constitution.

Have a great day! :)