The morning-after pill, clinically known as the emergency contraceptive pill, is used to prevent possible pregnancy. It should be taken, recommended, within 24 hours after intercourse, although it can be taken later, not having passed more than 72 hours. Although it can be purchased in pharmacies, health centers, or family planning without a prescription, it is not recommended to take it often, so it is advisable to use contraceptive methods. This method has been classified as safe and approved by various medical societies worldwide. However, it continues to arouse controversy since not everyone considers it contraceptive, but rather abortifacient. This is why many women choose not to use this method. Then, Is the morning after pill abortifacient? In this FastlyHealarticle, we will tell you how it works, and we are going to answer this question.
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How the morning after hall works
The morning-after pill is a pill that contains the hormones estrogen and progestin, just like birth control pills, but in a much larger quantity. One dose should be taken within the first 72 hours after having sex (preferably 24 hours later) and is supplemented with a second dose 12 hours after the first. Although, sometimes, the treatment consists of a single pill.
This pill intervenes in ovulation, inhibiting or delaying it, and, in addition, it can disrupt the movement of sperm in the female reproductive system. It will also depend on where in the cycle the woman is.
Does the morning-after pill cause abortion?
The controversial question is whether the morning-after pill is abortifacient or not. Any mechanism that works before conception (when the egg and sperm unite) is said to be a contraceptive. However, the agents that act afterward must be called abortifacient since it eliminates the embryo and prevents it from implanting in the mother’s womb. Implantation requires the source to adhere to the inner surface of the uterus, which we know as the endometrium.
Due to the operation of the morning-after pill, which inhibits or delays ovulation, many people do not consider this pill an abortifacient since fertilization or implantation has not yet occurred. They defend that it does not interrupt the pregnancy since pregnancy is understood to be the embryo already fertilized and nested in the walls of the uterus. However, it is also considered pregnancy when the egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube. In addition, they assure that if there were implantation, the pregnancy would continue even despite the morning-after pill.
The other group of people who claim that the pill is abortifacient do so from the opinion that the medicine can generate specific changes in the endometrium that inhibit the implantation of the fertilized ovum.
However, it must also be borne in mind that there is not always sexual intercourse. There is fertilization and, therefore, who is sure that there has been a pregnancy?
It must be borne in mind that the morning-after pill delays or inhibits ovulation so that during the lifetime of the sperm, conception cannot occur. It is so important to take it in the first 72 hours after unprotected or failed sexual intercourse.
Thus, we could conclude that the morning-after pill is not abortifacient.
Precautions when taking the morning after pill and adverse effects
Remember that the morning-after pill has some adverse effects, as it is a high dose of hormones. Thus, it can cause headaches, vomiting or dizziness, breast tenderness, fatigue, or even fluid retention. Also, there may be abdominal or chest pain. You should go to the doctor if you do not have your period if the abdominal pain is extreme if there is bleeding, if you have constant dizziness or if the period you have after taking it is minimal.
It is essential to know that the morning after pill reduces the risk of pregnancy, but only by about 75-88%. If ingested in the first 24 hours, the effectiveness will be higher, up to 95%. Between 24 and 48 hours, the energy is reduced to 85%, and if ingested between 48 and 72 hours, the effectiveness drops considerably to 58%. If they are more than 7 days late, you must do a pregnancy test.
Keep in mind that this pill prevents a possible pregnancy, but it does not work against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or infections, so a condom is recommended.
This pill is a powerful explosion of hormones for your body. Therefore, you should not take it constantly or regularly, only in emergencies.
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.
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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.