Emergency Contraception

How It Works

Plan B One-Step™ (Morning-after Pill) consists of one pill taken within 72 hours of sex. It is intended to prevent pregnancy after known or suspected contraceptive failure, unprotected intercourse or forced sex. The emergency contraceptive contains large amounts of levonorgestrel and progesterone a hormone found in some birth control pills. Plan B may work by preventing the egg and sperm from meeting by delaying ovulation. The Morning After Pill won’t disrupt an implanted pregnancy, but may prevent a newly formed life from implanting in the uterus. This is a form of early abortion.

Reactions 

Side effects may include changes in periods, nausea, breast tenderness, vomiting, cramping, lower abdominal pain, fatigue, headache and dizziness. If your period is more than a week late, you may be pregnant from a prior sexual encounter. Plan B One-Step™ should not be taken during pregnancy nor used as a routine form of birth control.

Risks

Evidence has been found that Plan B One-Step™ may increase the risk for ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, a potentially life threatening condition. Women who have severe abdominal pain may have an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, and should get immediate medical help. It is reported that Plan B One-Step™ prevents an average of 84% of expected pregnancies. There are no long-term studies on the safety of Plan B One-Step™ in women under 17, after repeated use or effects on future fertility.

How It Works 

Ella® (ulipristal acetate) is an FDA approved emergency contraceptive for use within 5 days of unprotected sex, contraceptive failure or forced sex. Pregnancy from a previous sexual encounter should be ruled out before taking Ella®. It is estimated that taking Ella® will reduce the number expected pregnancies from 5.5% to 2%. Ella® may reduce the chance of pregnancy by preventing or postponing ovulation. Another way Ella may work by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus, which is a form of early abortion. Ella® is a chemical cousin to the abortion pill Mifeprex. Both share the progesterone-blocking effect of disrupting the embryo’s attachment to the womb, causing its death.

Reactions

The most common adverse reactions of Ella® include headache, nausea, stomach (abdominal) pain, menstrual cramps, fatigue and dizziness. Women who experience abdominal pain three to five weeks after using Ella®, or miss your next menstrual period, should be evaluated right away for an ectopic pregnancy.

Ella® may not be as effective if taken with certain drugs, or may change the effectiveness of certain drugs.

Risks

Much is unknown about the drug, including its effect on women who are under 18 or over 35 years of age, pregnant women, and on women who are breast-feeding, or taking Ella® repeatedly during the same cycle.