
Women's Health
Effectiveness and side effects of emergency contraception
Emergency contraception is a form of birth control, used by women who have had unprotected sex or used any other birth control method that did not work. This is in general not a frequently used method for birth control and is opted for in only specific situations. It is important to note that emergency oral contraception is a way to prevent pregnancies only. Thus, it works by delaying the process of ovulation. This method of birth control does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. Broadly, emergency contraceptives can be classified into two types: Pill IUD The pill can be categorized into two types. One, which contains a hormone, known as levonorgestrel. This kind of pill can be easily bought over-the-counter without a prescription. The second is a non-hormonal pill, known as ulipristal (Ella). You need a prescription to buy this. How does emergency contraception work? Levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive works to prevent pregnancy by temporarily stopping the eggs from getting released. This averts the process of fertilization or stops the fertilized egg from becoming implanted in the uterus. Levonorgestrel needs to be taken only once and as soon as possible. Its effectiveness depends on how soon the pill was taken after unprotected sex.
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