MORNING AFTER PILL
What it is, what it means for your health & how it works.
What Is The Morning After Pill?
There are two over the counter FDA-approved emergency contraception pills – Plan B One-Step and Next Choice. The “Morning After Pill” is a large dose of oral contraceptive levonorgestrel, a progestin hormone found in some birth control pills. It is not the same as RU486, commonly known as the “abortion pill.”
Ella is another emergency contraception pill, available by prescription only.
How It Works
The Morning After Pill (also called emergency contraception) works in three different ways depending where you are in your menstrual cycle:
- It can prevent the egg and sperm from coming together by delaying ovulation.
- It can affect the quality of the cervical mucus as well as the lining of your fallopian tubes and uterus so that sperm cannot meet the eggs.
- It may prevent a newly fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus, which is considered an early abortion.
The Morning After Pill is NOT effective once the embryo has implanted.
Possible Side Effects
Every woman is different and reacts differently to medications, and the Morning After Pill is no exception. Here is a list of possible side effects:
- Nausea & vomiting
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Cramping & abdominal pain
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
Morning-after pill – Mayo Clinic
Still Have Questions?
We’re Here to Help!
At PACN our Client Care Team is ready to help answer any questions about the Morning After Pill, pregnancy or the services we offer.
