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Until I needed it myself, I was completely unaware that so many women close to me had used Emergency Contraception or the “morning after pill”. At the time, it was very reassuring to hear my friends’ experiences, and because so many women on the EmpowHER website ask questions regarding EC, I thought I would share my own experience and try to provide some answers to general concerns women have after taking the pill.
My need for EC was the result of a mistake many couples make when using condoms. (Now YOU definitely won’t!) Instead of pulling out after his orgasm, my partner remained inside me and when his erection shrank, the condom fell off. I immediately knew that despite my aversion to unnatural hormones, I had no choice but to use Emergency Contraception. First rule of thumb: when in doubt, just take the pill! It’s much less expensive than an abortion or a baby.
I headed to Walgreens and was quickly helped by a pharmacist who seemed quite used to seeing disheveled young women asking for the drug. Anyone over the age of 17 is now able to acquire EC without a prescription, thanks to the recent work of dedicated women's health activists. The brand of EC I received was called Next Choice, an option that contains 2 doses of Levonorgestrel (a hormone commonly used in birth control pills), to be taken 12 hours apart. Another common brand is the Plan B One-Step, consisting of only one pill.
Sitting in the parking lot, I carefully read all the directions on the Next Step package and swallowed the pill. I knew I was well within the time constraints of the pill’s effectiveness (3 days or 72 hours), but because the earlier you take the drug the more effective it will be, I still felt hurried. All day I awaited side effects like dizziness, nausea, or headache, but none came. 12 hours after my first dose, I took the 2nd pill – still feeling just fine.
2 days after I took the pills, I began to feel some cramping. Although it was not yet time in my cycle, I experienced a very light, 3-day period.* Because early stages of pregnancy can also cause similar symptoms, just in case I also took a pregnancy test to confirm. Negative! Though it took about 2 months until my menstrual cycle was regular again, it was clear that the Next Choice pill had done its job with minimal side effects. Sometimes, drugs truly are miracles.
Please feel free to share your own experience with EC, or ask any questions about mine! If there’s interest, I’d love to provide more details about how the drug works and its common side effects. I also (as always) recommend doing your own research on the pill. Planned Parenthood's website is a great place to start: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill-4363.htm
* Important clarification: EC is not the abortion pill. If you are already pregnant, the hormone will not have any effect on a fetus. Instead, Levonorgestrel can prevent ovulation, thicken your vaginal discharge making it less penetrable to sperm, and help shed your uterine lining to prevent implantation of an egg – resulting in the common side effect of a period-like bleeding.
Sources: http://www.mynextchoice.com/Consumer/whatis_Main.asp
Add a Comment182 Comments
Hello, I also took the pill and had spotting about a week after for a few days. On the day before the day that my period would usually come, I took a pregnancy test at the doctor's office that came out negative. I was wondering if your period came back within a week that you normally would get it? Is it normal for it to be a bit later? Ive been really stressing out about this and I know stress can delay the menstrual cycle. The only settling thing is that pregnancy test at the doctors office, but I'm still a bit worried because I wasnt able to urinate a lot. The nurse said she could work with it though...
September 22, 2010 - 7:55amThis Comment
Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for your question - I think it's one that many women have after taking EC! Because the pill(s) that you take are basically an extra strong dose of birth control hormones, it is only natural that your menstrual cycle get mixed up a little bit. You may not get your period until later, you may spot for longer, or you may have much lighter/shorter bleeding than usual. In all likelihood, it is due to the extra hormones in your body. Personally, my menstrual cycle took about 6 weeks to regulate itself, as I experienced bleeding immediately after taking EC and then skipped my next period.
If you are really stressing about it, I recommend taking another home pregnancy test. Especially now that it has been a little while since you took EC, the test should be accurate and will definitely soothe your anxiety.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
September 22, 2010 - 11:07amThis Comment