5 Emergency Contraception Myths we need to stop right away

Emergency Contraception Myths

Using emergency contraception is similar to changing a tyre in that you probably don't think about it until it's absolutely necessary. While simple instructions for changing a tyre are a quick Google search away for those in need, it's a little more difficult to separate the facts from popular myths when it comes to emergency contraception. Here are seven emergency contraception myths and the truth behind them that you may have heard.

Myth No. 1: There is only one type of EC.

The morning-after pill may come to mind when you think of emergency contraception. However, there are several pill forms of emergency contraception available, as well as a non-pill method.

Morning-after pills are classified into two types. Plan B One-Step and its generic counterparts are available as a single pill containing 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel, a progesterone-like hormone. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, this is the method most commonly used by people in need of EC (ACOG). A 30-milligram pill of ulipristal acetate is another option for oral emergency contraception (Ella). By preventing or delaying ovulation, both emergency contraceptive pills reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy.

Myth No. 2: You should take the morning after pill...the morning after you have sex without protection.

Even though the maximum recommended usage times vary, you should use emergency contraception as soon as possible for the best chances of preventing pregnancy.

Let's start with the oral emergency contraceptives. Levonorgestrel is safe to take up to 72 hours after sex. Ulipristal acetate can be used for up to 120 hours (five days) after sex. However, you should try to take either form as soon as possible.

Myth No. 3: Emergency Contraceptive causes an abortion.

Emergency contraception can only be used to prevent pregnancy, not to terminate an already established pregnancy. The mechanisms of EC differ from those used in medication abortion, which is legal up to 10 weeks after your last period.

Myth No. 4: Once you take the morning-after pill, you can safely have more unprotected sex.

Both levonorgestrel and ulipristal acetate only protect you against getting pregnant from previous unprotected sex, not future acts of unprotected sex after taking oral emergency contraceptives. They have no effect on long-term fertility.

This makes sense when you consider that sperm can live in your body for up to five days, but EC works best three to five days after sex. Taking EC and then engaging in unprotected sex in the following days may result in you missing the medication's most effective time period.

Myth No. 5: There is nothing wrong with using the morning-after pill as a long-term method of birth control.

Actually, there are a few reasons why this isn't a good idea, none of which have anything to do with long-term health consequences. As previously stated, using emergency contraception will not harm your fertility. Even so, there are better long-term birth control options available.

While there are many different types of birth control, they all work to prevent pregnancy on a daily basis, not just after one instance of unprotected sex. Birth control that uses the hormones oestrogen and progestin (such as the combination pill and vaginal ring) reliably suppresses ovulation, thins the uterine lining, and thickens cervical mucus to obstruct sperm when used as directed. The uterine lining and mucus action are central to progestin-only birth control methods such as hormonal IUDs and the implant