Emergency Contraceptive Pills: Questions and Concerns

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Emergency contraception is a medication used to reduce the risk of an unwanted pregnancy after unprotected sex. However, the drug is only used in cases of force majeure and under the guidance of a specialist. Abuse of emergency contraception can cause serious effects such as menstrual disorders, atrophy or thinning of the uterine lining, and can even cause infertility in women.

Emergency contraceptive pills used after unprotected sex work to prevent pregnancy. It stops or delays the release of an egg from the ovary until the sperm is inactive in the woman's body. It also prevents sperm from fertilizing an egg. However, the emergency contraceptive pill will not work once the egg has been fertilized and implanted in the uterus. Plus, it won't harm an embryo while it's developing. Depending on the brand and dosage of the pill, you can take 1 or 2 pills for emergency contraception.

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2.1. Does using antibiotics along with the emergency contraceptive pill affect the pill's action? Most antibiotics have no effect when used with emergency contraception. However, it is now thought that antibiotics interact with hormonal contraceptives reducing the effectiveness of both drugs. Some antibiotics, including rifampicin and rifabutin, can increase enzymes in the body, which will affect hormonal contraceptive use. However, when using these drugs, it is advisable to use some additional methods of contraception such as using condoms.
2.2. Where can I buy emergency contraception? Emergency contraception can be obtained for free from a number of locations such as:
Pregnancy clinics Some pharmacies Most reproductive health clinics Or Levonelle and EllaOne emergency contraceptive pills can be purchased at most pharmacies.
Levonelle can be used within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex, but is most effective if taken within 12 hours of sex. Drug prices vary widely. If you are 16 years old or older, you can buy Levonelle emergency contraception without a doctor's prescription.

EllaOne can be used within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected sex. However, the most effective effect of the drug will be realized as soon as possible after sexual intercourse. And with this drug the price fluctuates also. EllaOne can be sold to people under the age of 16 without a prescription. 2.3. How to promote the effectiveness of emergency contraceptive pills? Emergency contraception is most effective when taken immediately after unprotected sex. Both emergency contraceptive pills, Levonelle and EllaOne, work well before an egg is released from the ovary (ovulation). Ovulation is triggered by an increase in Luteinizing hormone (LH hormone). In the case of Levonelle there is no effect after the LH hormone level starts to increase. But, with EllaOne, it continues to take effect in the next cycle.
A 2017 review of evidence estimated that about 1 to 2% of women who use EllaOne emergency contraception after having unprotected sex will become pregnant. When compared with Levonella shows, an estimated 0.6 to 2.6% of women use the drug after having unprotected sex.
The effectiveness of both these emergency contraceptive pills may be reduced if a woman has a high body mass index (BMI). This can make it more difficult to provide accurate estimates of these two drugs.

2.4. Can emergency contraception be used after giving birth or while breastfeeding? You can get pregnant again soon after your baby is born, or even while breastfeeding, or even if your period hasn't returned from childbirth. Because, the ovaries still normally release an egg (ovulation) about 2 weeks before your period arrives. To use emergency contraception after giving birth, you may need to discuss with your doctor for advice and options. For example, use only emergency contraceptive pills that contain pro-estrogen (99% effective if used exactly as directed).
In case you are breastfeeding, or have health problems or are at risk of blood clots, you should not arbitrarily use emergency contraceptive pills without the guidance of a specialist.

2.5. If you are taking emergency contraception and have diarrhea, what should you do? It will probably depend on how long you have had diarrhea. If you get sick (vomit) for 2 hours after taking the medicine, the medicine probably won't be absorbed into your body. You should then take another pill immediately. If you continue to be sick or have diarrhea for more than 24 hours, this means that the protection of the medicine will be affected. At this time, you should use another method of contraception such as using a condom during sex.
2.6. If I take emergency contraception, will the pregnancy test work? No birth control method is 100% effective, so if you're not sure, you should check with a pregnancy test.
Hormonal methods of birth control - such as birth control pills, emergency contraception pills, contraceptive implants or birth control injections - contain the hormones estrogen and pro-estrogen. They all have the effect of altering a woman's hormone balance. However, this hormone will not affect the results of pregnancy tests because they are not used to measure whether you are pregnant or not.
When there is a negative pregnancy test result, it means that your result can have different meanings like:
Firstly, it means you are not pregnant or you took the test too early ( Getting tested early may fall on the day of ovulation.) To correct this, you can get a second test a few days later or see your doctor for advice. A negative result may be due to an incorrect test timer. For example, if you take a urine sample for testing and do not do it within 15 minutes, it will affect the test results. Or it may be because drinking too much water makes the urine diluted. This can affect the concentration of HCG in the sample, leading to erroneous results.

2.7. Men's Emergency Contraceptive Pills Over the years, little has changed in male versus female contraception. Although there have been many studies on the male emergency contraceptive pill, it is not yet available for use. And now, the male contraceptive method can be:
Condom. A form of preventing sperm from reaching an egg or preventing a sperm from fertilizing an egg. Vasectomy: This is a procedure, and it can be a permanent birth control solution that works to increase sperm ejaculate from the penis Or it can be used to use an extra-vaginal method of ejaculation. However, this method is not recommended, because sperm can be released before ejaculation. Emergency contraceptive pills should only be used in an emergency situation and prescribed by a doctor. If misused, emergency contraception seriously endangers a woman's reproductive health, and can even cause infertility. Therefore, to avoid risks when using the drug, you should carefully read the instructions for use before using it, and at the same time should seek the advice and guidance of specialized doctors.
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References: nhs.uk, familyplanning.org.nz