What is an emergency contraceptive pill?

The emergency contraceptive pill is a medical means to prevent pregnancy as soon as sexual intercourse has occurred. It is not recommended for people to regularly rely on this method of contraception, but can be used in an urgent situation, such as after a condom failure or after rape. While this type of pill is often referred to as "in the morning after a pill", it usually works up to five days after contact, although it is usually most effective when it is taken sooner. In most areas, an emergency contraceptive pill is available on pharmacies without a prescription for those 17 or older, while younger teenagers usually need a prescription from a doctor.

One of the main types of emergency contraceptives contains progestin, an artificial form of hormonal progesterone. It is usually referred to as Plan B pill and can usually be purchased from a pharmacist without a regulation of women and men aged 17 and over. Plan B usually consists of two pills that can be taken together for maximum efficiency. Side effects areRare, but usually include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headache, breast sensitivity, dizziness and abdominal pain.

There is also an emergency contraceptive pill that is only prescription in the United States and Europe. It consists of street acetate and, like Plan B, is usually effective when used up to five days after sexual intercourse. In fact, it is generally considered to be slightly more effective than Plan B and also has fewer side effects. There is another pill that is considered to be equally effective, even if it consists of mifepristone instead and is usually available only in Russia and China.

Finally, one type of emergency contraceptive pill contains both progestin and estrogen, so such tablets are often referred to as combined emergency contraceptives. In most cases, this type of pill is really a daily oral contraceptive, in which case the normal dose doubles.The first pill should be taken within five days of sexual intercourse, the second pill was taken 12 hours later. Nausea and vomiting are the common side effects of this type of emergency contraceptive pills and because vomiting the pill can reduce its efficiency, the drug against nausea may be used first. It should be noted that not every oral contraceptive pill can be used in this way, as different brands contain different amounts of hormones, but the doctor would probably know which types can be used effectively as emergency contraceptives.