This is a frequent question among women of reproductive age who do not have an established contraceptive method or the one they already had did not work for them. Many women resort to this contraceptive option, despite having doubts about whether it is safe or not concerning the results it offers.
Any woman can use the morning after pill at any age when she has had unprotected sex. In this FastlyHealarticle, you will clarify your doubts about whether I can take medicine the next day after having sex and everything concerning using this pill.
Table of Contents
What’s in the morning-after pill
To answer “can I take the morning after pill after sex?”, You must first know the components of this pill. The levonorgestrel tablet contains 0.75 mg of synthetic progesterone. This pill is used as an emergency contraceptive and acts in the body:
- It inhibits ovulation.
- It prevents the fertilization of the ovum by the sperm from taking place.
- This pill manages to change the menstrual cycle, women who take it have menstruation up to a week after the previously established date.
It is essential to remember that menstruation can come even one week before what you had marked on your calendar. This will depend on the cycle phase in which you took the pill the next day. Taking a single tablet with levonorgestrel is enough since this treatment does not require a prescription.
There is also ulipristal acetate, another pill that, unlike levonorgestrel, does require a prescription. To do this, you should also take just one medicine.
Directions for the morning after pill
Emergency contraception is indicated in the following cases:
- After an assault or rape.
- When a condom breaks or the diaphragm falls out of place.
- In those cases where you have a sexual relationship, you are not using any contraceptive method.
- If you forget to take your birth control pill.
- If you are not using your contraceptive method correctly.
If one of the reasons you wonder if “I can take the pill the next day after having sex” is to know in which cases it is recommended, you should know that it is a contraceptive method for any emergency after having sex and to prevent it an unwanted pregnancy.
Can I take the morning after pill after sex?
Without any problem, you can take your pill the next day after having sex because that is its primary indication. You must be clear that these pills act to delay or prevent ovulation, so they will have no effect if you are already pregnant.
The function of the morning-after pills is to prevent pregnancy, especially if you did not have the proper protection when having sex or you forgot to take the contraceptive pill, you skipped it, you took the wrong one, or in a worst-case scenario, you were the victim of a sexual assault, and your contraceptive failed. Any case is valid to take the pill the next day after having sex.
If you have more questions regarding menstruation, we recommend: Can I take the morning after pill if I am menstruating?
When to take the morning-after pill
It is indicated to take the pill the next day during the 72 hours after sexual intercourse. However, it has a limit of 120 hours (5 days) during which contraception through the pill the next day takes effect.
In short, you can take the pill the next day after having sex during those 72 hours later, and its effectiveness decreases after those hours. The pill’s effectiveness decreases as the days go by, especially after the first 72 hours. Therefore, as its name implies, the idea is that you take it the next day to guarantee its effectiveness.
If you want more information about the times regarding the morning-after pill, you can consult: Until when I can take the morning-after medication?
Side effects of the morning-after pill
Once you take this pill, some side effects may appear to its ingestion, such as:
- Headache.
- Fatigue.
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Tenderness in the breasts.
- Presence of cramps and pain in the lower abdomen.
- Increased menstrual bleeding and sight of it between menstrual periods.
The appearance of 1 or more of these symptoms is indicative that you should go to your gynecologist for a much more accurate evaluation of your condition.
Learn more about side effects in Morning-After Pill Side Effects.
Contraindications of the morning after pill
You should not take the morning after pill if you find yourself in these cases:
- If you are allergic to any of the components of the pill.
- If you are overweight or obese, it may not be as effective as a person with weight for their size or who is not heavy.
- If you suspect that you are pregnant or are breastfeeding, you should not consume this pill since the effects on the fetus or the baby have not yet been proven.
These contraindications are of vital importance, especially if you are pregnant. See, Can I take the morning after pill if I am breastfeeding? for more contraindications.
Women should know the range of contraceptive methods that exist today to choose the best suits them. Only then will you feel safe in the selected way. Ideally, it would be best if you did it with the help of your trusted gynecologist; he will guide you and recommend the one that best suits you according to the physical conditions in which you find yourself.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Can I take the pill the next day after having sex?, we recommend that you enter our Sexuality category.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.