The morning after pill is also known under the name of emergency contraception, because women use it after unprotected intercourse or when another birth control method fails. The same hormones present in the regular birth control pill are used in the morning after pill with the only mention that the concentration of the ingredients is a bit higher. The morning after pill should not replace a regular birth control method, because used frequently it can seriously impair health.
The morning after pill should be used as soon as possible after you have unprotected sex. Yet, you have a three or five day interval to administer it and still prevent a pregnancy. Manufacturers nevertheless warn that the efficiency can be influenced by the moment when you actually administer it. Do not mistake this birth control method for the abortion pill, because this is not the effect it produces. Its action at the level of the reproductive system consist in the prevention of the ovulation and the alteration of the womb lining so as to become unsuitable for egg nesting.
The efficiency rate is high and the chances of side effects are pretty reduced. The usual adverse reactions to hormonal treatments may appear nonetheless: nausea, headaches, breast tenderness and spotting. Read the list of side effects carefully as all packages have detailed specification on this matter. The morning after pill should not be used by women who suffer from severe liver disease or porphyria. There are also drugs and herbal supplements that interact with the morning after pill decreasing its efficiency.
Contact the general practitioner right away to have a drug prescription. Do specify that you need the morning after pill urgently, in order not to be appointed for some later date. The sooner you act, the higher the risk of unwanted pregnancy. In some states, you can also buy the morning after pill without prescription. The only downside is the cost, as the prices are a lot higher in pharmacies. Emergency contraception can be accessed freely with certain organizations, but you need to know where to call.
Be aware of the fact that the morning after pill does not offer protection for the rest of the menstrual cycle, and you still have to use some birth control. Do not use more emergency contraceptives in the same month because of the health risks that hormonal imbalances could lead to. Either abstain from sex or rely on some serious birth control method.