EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION ("Morning After Pill")

At a Glance:

• Window of time: up to 120 hours from unprotected intercourse
  
  
• Procedure-Oral administration of a single 25 mg dosage of Mifespristone tablet (RU486).
  
  
• Effectiveness: 98%+
  
  
• Side Effects: In rare cases, there may be minimal nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, bleeding, breast swelling, headache, or vomiting. If these occur, no treatment is necessary.
  
  
• Not Ongoing Contraception-patients should use contraception after the Emergency Contraception Pill (ECP) procedure.
  
  
• Abortion-Patients should plan on having an abortion in the rare cases when the ECP does not work.



• No Appointment needed for the Emergency Contraception Pill can be ordered by phone.

Today, couples have many safe effective methods of contraception available. There are prescription means such as: birth control pills, mechanical means such as condoms and diaphragms, and medical methods such as sterilization. Still, there are times when unprotected sexual intercourse happens between two people who are either known to be or thought to be fertile.

For those occasions, a safe, effective method of post coital birth control is available to prevent unwanted pregnancies. This Emergency Contraception Procedure (ECP) may be used up to 120 hours from the time of unprotected sexual intercourse.

Methodology
The procedure consists of a single tablet of Mifepristone (RU486) taken orally. The tablet should be taken on an empty stomach (3-5 hours after eating) and the patient should continue to fast for another 2 hours.

Possible adverse reactions may include: nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, breast swelling, bleeding, headache, or vomiting. These reactions are minimal and do not require treatment.

The Emergency Contraception Pill does not prevent you from getting pregnant in the future. Therefore, it is vital to use an effective form of birth control after the ECP treatment.

Your next menstrual period should occur within 2 days of your normal expected period. If a menstrual period does not occur within 21 days of the ECP treatment, the patient should immediately have a pregnancy test.
If that pregnancy test is positive, you will need to terminate the pregnancy, due to the increased risk of birth defects.

Considerations
Depending on the timing of the menstrual cycle, ECP may prevent ovulation, prevent an egg from being fertilized, or prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.

ECP should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse. In the rare case of failure, the resultant pregnancy should be terminated due to the increased probability of birth defects.

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