With 27 Vital Nutrients including Choline and DHA For Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
Use the timeline to find the stage of your pregnancy
LOGIN / SIGN UP
Welcome Guest 
PREGNANCY

How Emergency Contraceptives Work

6 user(s) have rated this article. Average Rating:
The precise mode of action of ECs is not known. It is understood that these prevent pregnancy by:
  • Keeping the egg from leaving the Ovary
  • Keeping the Sperm from meeting the egg
  • Keeping the fertilized egg from attaching to the Uterus.
If you are already pregnant, emergency Contraception will NOT work.

Emergency Contraception pills (ECP) are made of the same hormones found in birth control pills. Hormones are chemicals made in our bodies. They control how different parts of the body work.

Human conception does not always take place immediately after intercourse. Instead, it occurs as long as several days later, after Ovulation. During the time between intercourse and conception, Sperm continue to travel through the Fallopian Tube until the egg appears.

The hormones in the morning after pill work by keeping a woman's ovaries from releasing eggs (ovulation). Pregnancy cannot happen if there is no egg to join with Sperm. The hormones in the morning after pill also prevent pregnancy by thickening a woman's cervical mucus.

The mucus blocks Sperm and keeps it from joining with an egg. So taking emergency birth control the ‘morning after’ isn't too late to prevent pregnancy.

Depending on where a woman is in her Menstrual cycle and when the pills are given, these pills may:
  • Prevent or delay Ovulation
  • Block fertilization
  • Keep a fertilized egg from implanting in the Uterus
The active ingredients in ECPs are similar to those in birth control pills, except in higher doses. Some Morning-after Pills contain only one hormone, levonorgestrel, and others contain two, Progestin and Estrogen.

Progestin prevents the Sperm from reaching the egg and keeps a fertilized egg from attaching to the wall of the Uterus (implantation). Estrogen stops the ovaries from releasing eggs (ovulation) that can be fertilized by Sperm.

How to use EC pills?
Emergency birth control is taken in two doses. You can start taking the pills right away after having unprotected sex. You should take the first dose within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. The sooner you take it, the better it works. You take the second dose 12 hours later.

Your doctor may tell you about other ways of taking this medicine. EC pills do not cause Abortion and have no adverse effects on the growth and development of an established pregnancy. Taken correctly, emergency Contraception can be an effective way to prevent pregnancy.

Emergency Contraception pills work best when taken as soon as possible after intercourse. Ideally, the medicine should be taken within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse, but it may be effective for up to 5 days.

Intrauterine device
An intrauterine device (IUD) may help prevent against Contraception that is inserted into a woman’s Uterus within 5 days after unprotected intercourse by a health care provider. However, IUDs are intended to provide long-term birth control for 1-10 years. IUDs function by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg in the Uterus.

Adapted from: Emergency Contraception and Brief Update on Regular Contraception. Guide Book for Health-Care Providers, authored by Dr. Suneeta Mittal, Director-in-Charge WHO-CCR in Human Reproduction, AIIMS. 2003.

Quiz

Use the range of quizzes on IndianWomensHealth.com to evaluate how much you know about Women`s Health? These quizzes are designed to give you one of the most powerful tools for a healthy life – KNOWLEDGE. Have fun while you learn.

Register your entries and you also stand to win surprize gifts and prizes here!

 


ask our expert



email this page Email This Page
rate this page Rate This Page
social Bookmarking Social Bookmarking
social Bookmarking Utility & Tools
[-] Site at a Glance
Privacy|Disclaimer|Terms & Conditions|FAQs|Expert Panel|Polls|Quizzes|Refer a Friend|Baby Names |Blog

Glossary| Find a Doctor| Find a Doctor by City|Health Videos| Calculators|Sitemap|Forum|Contact Us

Birth Stories|Share your stories|Baby Pictures|Is It Safe during Pregnancy?|Do’s and Dont’s of Pregnancy|User Survery Contest


With 27 Vital Nutrients including Choline and DHA For Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
You may have found this page by searching for : ''How emergency contraceptive works, mechanism of action of emergency contraceptive, how to use EC pills, IUD, emergency pills''.

© All Copyright reserved to Indian Womens Health
Site designed and managed by BioQuest Solutions Pvt. Ltd.