What is the morning-after pill?
Although lots of people talk about ‘the morning-after pill’ this term is actually very misleading.
Why? Because in fact, you don’t have to take this pill on ‘the morning after’ having sex. In reality, it is fairly effective for up to 72 hours (three days).
However, the earlier you take it the better; it works best if taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex.
You’ll probably find that any chemist, nurse or doctor to whom you talk will call it ‘The post-coital pill’ - or ‘PCP'. Other professionals call it ‘the emergency contraceptive’ or ‘EC'.
The one which is currently (2007) used in the UK is called ‘Levonelle one step’ or ‘Levonelle 1500.’ It contains a female-type hormone called ‘levonorgestrel’ - which is one of the ingredients of several types of contraceptive pill.
What does it do?
It stops you from becoming pregnant – at least, in the vast majority of cases. It’s not 100 per cent effective, but the failure rate is quite low – probably about 10 per cent, and rather better than that if you take it as early as possible.
The PCP is believed to work principally by preventing your ovaries from releasing an egg, and by affecting the womb lining, so that a fertilised egg couldn’t ‘embed’ itself there.
In Britain and many other western countries, it is not regarded as an abortion-causing drug, but as a contraceptive.
Who is it useful for?
It’s now very widely used by women (especially young women) who have had unprotected sex. And in particular, it has proved of value to:
- rape victims – who should insist that they are given it (unfortunately, in Britain the doctors who examine raped women have sometimes been rather slow to prescribe it).
- couples who have had a condom break.
- women who have been lured into having sex while under the influence of drink or drugs.
Is it dangerous to use?
Not at all. If anybody tells you that it has ‘lots of side-effects’ or ‘makes you dreadfully sick,’ don’t believe them.
There was an older form of PCP, used back in the 1990s, which did often cause nausea – but today’s PCP causes very little trouble at all.
You might feel a little bit sick after taking it, but only about 1 woman in every 60 actually throws up. If you did happen to vomit within three hours of taking Levonelle, you should assume it has been ‘lost’ – and get another one from a doctor or chemist.
Uncommon side-effects (which personally I’ve hardly ever seen) include:
- headache
- tummy ache
- breast tenderness
- vaginal ‘spotting’ of blood
- dizziness.
More details on the package leaflet.
Is there anyone who shouldn’t take the PCP?
There are a few categories of women who shouldn’t take the post-coital pill. They include:
- people with severe liver disease.
- people with a very rare condition called porphyria.
But for nearly everyone, the PCP is fine, and most unlikely to cause any significant problems.
However, please note that if you are taking the popular herb St John’s wort it reduces the effectiveness of the PCP – so the doctor may want to prescribe a larger dose.
information found @ http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/morningafterpill.htm
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
