So it happened that you had unprotected sex? Or during this your usual methods of contraception failed? You may well resort to emergency contraception. Emergency contraception is the use of special drugs containing a “shock” dose of hormones, for example, the Escapel medication (the consequences after taking such a drug are minimal). The sooner you take it, the more likely it is that you will not become pregnant. However, like all other methods of contraception, this cannot guarantee one hundred percent protection against pregnancy.
Can these drugs terminate an ongoing pregnancy? Unfortunately, this method of protection is not able to interrupt an existing pregnancy, the drug can only prevent the egg from attaching to the walls of the uterus or inhibit ovulation. And only special medications and procedures that affect the fertilized egg or the formed fetus will be able to terminate the pregnancy , one of these procedures is abortion. And after taking the Escapel contraceptive, the consequences are much less common than after an abortion.
Very often, women believe that emergency contraception and abortion are one and the same thing. This is actually not the case. The process of fertilization and attachment of the egg to the walls of the uterus takes a certain amount of time, usually from two to five days, this process does not occur at one time with unprotected intercourse. If a woman ovulates within a few days after sex, and additional safety measures, such as special medicines, are not taken, then the probability of conception is very high. In medicine, pregnancy occurs only after a fertilized egg can attach to the walls of the uterus.
Where to buy these funds?
In addition to drugs, there is another method of emergency contraception - a copper intrauterine device, which must be installed no later than a day after the unprotected intercourse. The IUD is placed only by a gynecologist. Where and how can I take a prescription for pills or install an IUD:
- at the gynecologist in the clinic at the place of residence;
- in the antenatal clinic;
- in a teenage clinic;
- in a private clinic.
Some pills are sold without a prescription, you can ask a pharmacist about this at any pharmacy in your city. Prices for drugs are different.
Special tablets for oral use, for example, the Escapel drug, the consequences after which are most often manifested in menstrual irregularities, and this does not affect reproductive function in the future (unlike abortion), contain a special hormone called progestogen. It is thanks to this hormone that an unwanted pregnancy can be avoided. And if you do not take care of the methods of protection in time, then pregnancy can be eliminated only with the medical or surgical method. Menstruation after the escapel may come with a slight delay, but this, in principle, is not so scary after such a dose of hormones. In order for the drug to work, you need to drink only one tablet no later than 72 hours after sex, and preferably even earlier, since the effectiveness of the drug decreases every hour.
How does emergency contraception work?
Most often, the drug prevents the egg from entering the uterus, thereby inhibiting the ovulation process, or it does not allow the fertilized egg to be implanted. In particular, the escapel drug works this way, the consequences of taking it are minimal and do not cause any serious malfunctions for the body.
Drug effectiveness
Efficiency is very high only if you took the pill on time. True, this method of protection can be used only once every three months, or even once every six months; in addition, it does not protect you from becoming infected with sexually transmitted infections.
The consequences of taking escapel
In some cases, women may experience nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, and other unpleasant symptoms.