5 things to know about Morning after Pill

Morning after pill is also referred to as the emergency contraception pill (i-pill in India). It is the contraceptive method of choice for women who’ve just had unprotected sex and do not want to entertain the idea of getting pregnant because of it. The pills are believed to work up to 5 days from the time you’ve done the act. Morning after pill is generally considered safe and is available at many drug stores as an over the counter product and at the moment in India a prescription is not required to buy these pills.

1) Morning after pills are what women should look for if they got into an unplanned sexual encounter and they don’t follow or use any contraception method at all. Getting drunk or being carried away by all that passion is the most common reason why couples proceed with unprotected sex without thinking twice. Morning after pill is also recommended if your partner had certain accidents during the intercourse like the condom slipping off or bursting, diaphragm or IUD getting out of place, or he withdrew too late.

2) This pill works by keeping the ovaries from releasing an egg. If a woman won’t ovulate, she won’t get pregnant no matter how many sperms there could be inside her body. Morning after pill functions in almost the same way as the two other oral contraceptive tablets. The only difference is that this one works much faster than the others would because of higher dose of hormone contained within.

3) The effectiveness of these pills is never 100% and is time dependent. The sooner the woman takes it after intercourse, the better. It taken within 72 hours, the risk of getting pregnant is reduced by 89%. However, that percentage goes down with the passing time. Women can only use this method for up to 120 hours after the unprotected intercourse to be effective. This goes to show that the use of the regular oral contraceptive proves to be the more effective way of deterring pregnancy.

4) The use of morning after pills is generally safe. However, certain side effects may show up, just like with any other medications. Examples are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, breast tenderness, and irregular bleeding. The frequent use of morning after pills may also lead to irregular or delayed menstrual period.

5) As a last note, morning after pill is recommended only during those accidental days. It should not be used as a regular contraception because of other better and more effective methods being available. Please check with your doctor if you wish to know more about them.

5 things all women should know about oral contraceptive pills

Oral pills, or more correctly, the oral contraceptive pills, are medications taken by mouth that are designed to prevent pregnancy in women. Their main job is to prevent pregnancy  but have many other health benefits as well. World- wide oral contraceptives are the most popular form of birth control to date.

1) These pills come in a pack of 21 or 24 or 28 tablets. One tablet need to be taken every day, preferably at the same time after meals. If it is a 21 tablet pack, a gap of 7 days should be given before starting the next pack. In a 24 tablet pack the gap should be 4 days and in a 28 tablet pack no gap days are required before starting the next pack.

2) These pills are mostly used to prevent or plan a pregnancy at the right time but their other uses are to treat menstrual cramps, heavy period bleeding, and painful menstruation. Your doctor needs to prescribe the right combination and dosage of pill components. The pills should be taken on a regular basis for 2-3 months for the benefits to show completely.

3) Anytime these pills are started by a woman, the contraceptive efficacy starts only after the first 7 tablets have been consumed. Till that time, one needs to take another additional back-up protection from pregnancy. To be effective one pill needs to be taken preferably at the same hour each day. That is required for the pills to work. Missing the intake of a single pill increases the risk of pregnancy. If one misses two tablets consecutively, a back-up method for protection must be used along with continuation of pills.

4) The oral contraceptive pills may cause nausea, slight weight gain (up to 1-2 kg), frequent headaches, blood clots, irregular spotting, mood changes, and breast tenderness. Patients who are previously diagnosed with health conditions such as stroke, liver disease, heart attack, breast cancer, and diabetes are advised not to use these pills. Those who smoke or are over 35 years old should also take extra care when on them.

5) However, their health benefits are far more than the side effects and these include reducing the monthly blood loss during her periods and she becomes less prone to cramping. The chance of developing cancer of the uterus or of the ovaries is also decreased if oral pills are used for many years. The other diseases that it may regulate are ovarian cysts, anemia, endometriosis, and breast diseases.

5 things we should know about Multi-Load and Copper T

The Multi-Load and Copper T devices are intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCD) and they are    designed to be inserted into the cavity of the uterus to prevent pregnancy. These devices are left there for a certain period of time. Any of these two devices can be used for a maximum of three to five years from the date of insertion.

Because IUCD’s had evolved over time, it can now pass as an emergency contraceptive method. Once the IUCD is in your body, it will stimulate an inflammatory action that would cause the release of microscopic cells, which can destroy sperms. As an effect, the sperms won’t be able to get into the tube and fertilize the egg. Furthermore, the t-shape design of the IUD prevents fertilized egg from sticking into the inner surface of the uterine lining.

2) No, they do not cause a woman to put on weight …for sure.

3) Both the Multi-load and the Copper T types of IUCD’s can deliver a success rate of at least 98%. And since the device is going to be positioned deep within the vagina, it won’t interfere with the sexual act. IUCD’s are known to work as soon as they are properly placed inside the body.

Unlike oral pills, there are no age risks involved with this type of contraceptive. And the woman’s fertility rate returns immediately once the device is removed.

4) There may be instances wherein some women complain of longer, heavier, and more painful periods after using IUCD’s. But usually this condition will settle down in two to three months. Sometimes oral medications are required to control the same. And while IUCD’s are great in preventing pregnancy, they do nothing to prevent the sexually transmitted diseases. It is therefore advisable to use a condom always as well.

5) IUCD’s come with a string attached to it. That indicates whether or not the device is in place. Normally, these devices would have to be checked once after the first period and subsequently once every year. Make sure to keep up these appointments with your doctor and learn how to check the threads yourself.