I’m wondering why women don’t take the morning-after pill as a matter of routine. We expect men to wear condoms, after all. But condoms aren’t 100% reliable.
So I’m assuming there are significant physiological effects. Is this correct?
Sure, there are physiological effects since the pill contains the same hormone as birth control pills. Since it is a single dose there is less risk of the long term complications associated with the birth control pill, but it is a larger dose than normal birth control pills, so it’s not meant for repeated use every week either.
Here is a question for you, how much does a condom cost? The morning after pill costs $10-70, so it would be a pretty expensive choice for birth control if you are having sex regularly. It’s also not 100% effective.
Because they can take the regular pill as a matter of routine, and it’s cheaper and more effective.
This. Plenty of couples combine condoms with other contraceptive methods such as oral contraceptives, a coil, the nuva ring, hormonal injections and implants and spermicidal gels.
I suppose if a woman weas only having sex occasionally it might make more financial and practical sense to take the morning after pill after each time, but I think the number of women doing this would be quite small. There are side effects for the morning-after pill, but then most if not all forms of hormonal contraception have side effects, so I guess its a case of weighing up the potentially slightly more severe side effects of taking the morning after pill infrequently, versus the continued side-effects of long term hormonal contraceptives. Further down that Wikipedia article has more information about the drawbacks of using morning-after pills as regular contraception.
I was thinking of in addition to other methods of contraception (including the regular pill) rather than instead of.
Mostly because the side effects can suck, and because you have to go in to the pharmacy each time to get them. It’s also pretty pricey to use as a regular thing. IIRC, three months worth of oral contraceptives cost me something like $60 with my insurance. The PP website says that emergency contraception lasts up to 5 days and can cost anywhere from $10-70. Plus some states allow pharmacists to send you away if they don’t want to provide you with the medication due to moral issues with it - why risk getting a lecture from some pissed-off pharmacist who thinks you’re killing babies if you’re just going to use it as a “no really, I’m serious about this” quadruple layer of backup.
Perhaps some women are not comfortable with the idea of taking it.
I took it once and the huge spike in hormones made me absolutely mental for a day or so. I got into a huge fight with my dad for no reason. I almost punched him in the face.
Hormones are a wicked thing and no one should be just popping a huge dose of them every time they have sex.
There is no point in taking plan b if you are on birth control pills regularly. Plan b is just a Mega dose of certain hormones that are the same as in certain birth control pills. It is pretty much just a loading dose to keep a woman from ovulating. If she has been taking normal lose dose birth control pills correctly, the morning after pill will do nothing But make her nauseous and lighten her wallet by $40 (generic) or $50 (brand).
Please forgive typos, on my phone.
When I was in college, pre-“morning after pill” days it was suggested to each of us to have a Rx for The Pill, even if we didn’t use it, because a double or triple dose of the pill in an emergency is effective. It was good if your BC failed, in case of rape, forgot to use protection etc.
However, it really is just a back up plan. Preventing preg is much safer for the body, in general, then hitting the body with high doses of powerful hormones. The hormones can have very dangerous side effects in many women, especially those with heart disease in their families, so it is not something to be taken causally.
No doubt. The abortion lobby has spread an awful lot of misinformation about what it does.
Do you mean anti-abortion, by any chance?
Yes. D’oh!
Depends which type of emergency contraception you are using as well.
Ella/EllaOne/Ulipristal is the NKOTB of emergency contraception.
It’s main selling point is that it works up to 5 days after intercourse and is slightly more effective than Levonorgestrel/Plan B.
The drawback of Ulipristal is that part of the way it works is by interfering with the effects of naturally produced progesterone. That means it will make progestrone containing contraceptives and emergency contraceptives less effective for the next 2-3 weeks.
Cite.
FWIW- a method of post-coital contraception that is often forgotten about is the Copper IUD.
It is more effective (99%) than any of the medications used.
It can be inserted up to five days after intercourse OR up to five days after ovulation is assumed to have taken place (day 19 for a 28 day cycle).
It can be left in if required to provide ongoing contraception OR it can be removed at the end of the next period if contraception is no longer required.
A very good website for information about different methods of emergency contraception.
No I don’t think they have. This is 3 different ways that it can work:
Temporarily stops the release of an egg from the ovary
Prevents fertilization
Prevents a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus
I’ve heard some women saying they are not comfortable with the 3rd way it works.
Women are free not to use post-coital contraception if they object to methods of contraception which prevent implantation.
Post coital contraception does not cause abortion, because it does not induce miscarriage.
The Family Planning Association page I linked to has information about mechanisms of action including prevention of implantation and that prevention of implantation is not medically or legally defined as abortion.
Emergency contraception is just that- to be used in an emergency when, for whatever reason, intercourse has not been protected and pregnancy is not a wanted outcome.
Very helpful, thank you!