When you need emergency contraception?

To be used only in emergency

What should be emphasized right from the start is that EC, or as it is more commonly referred to – Emergency Contraception, is not to be treated as a 1:1 substitute for those regular birth control techniques, nor as another option to abortion. As a matter of fact, EC represents that “red alert” option for avoiding pregnancy once the contraception means have ceased to be effective, as well as when a woman seeks to avoid getting pregnant after an unprotected intercourse, or in extreme cases when she is violated. In this regard, the most commonly recommended option for those women who seek immediate solution is the Progestin, as well as pills such as Plan B, which all serve the same purpose - bringing pregnancy to a halt prior to its “official” onset. In addition, the greatest majority of such recommendations goes to those women who have been sexually assaulted, and those who have also been violated in the process.

Other known and most frequently used names for pills coming from the EC category include such as the morning after pill, Postcoital Contraception (in medical circles) etc. In addition, an extremely important notion and rule regarding the morning after pill is that is does not bare this name because it is exclusively to be taken on the morning that follows the intercourse, but it must be taken in adherence with the prescription rules, which can be found inside the box and together with pills themselves.

Varieties and availability

Having pills from the category in mind, it is to be pointed out that they are quite easily acquirable given that they can be found in no less than three different forms, two of which include the pill-form and one is in the form of a “device” known as the intrauterine device. Coming back to the varieties of EC solutions available in the form of a pill, the two most prominent are progestin (such as Plan B) and a more frequently encountered specific combination of various birth control pills (e.g. a mix of estrogen and progestin). The third form, i.e. intrauterine device, is the most prominent recommendation in case of progestin or estrogen pill allergy.

Effect and effectiveness rates

As it is the case with other anti-pregnancy “solutions”, this one is also rooted in the act of ovulation stoppage and prevention of sperm in its efforts to “embrace” eggs and fertilize them. As far as its effectiveness rates are concerned, they go as follows: