Postcoital Contraception

Postcoital Contraception General Information

Postcoital Contraception (another medical equivalent for this clinical phrase is Emergency contraception - which can be encountered in its abbreviation - EC) is a medical phrase that refers to certain contraceptive measures that can prevent the development of pregnancy if it is employed within a well-determined period of time after unprotected sexual intercourse.

There are various forms of Emergency Contraception; they include ECPs (a common abbreviation that stands for emergency contraceptive pills) – they are also called the “morning-after pills”, as they are able to prevent fertilization or ovulation (in some cases they are even effective in the prevention of post-fertilization implantation of an embryo (blastocyst)); these forms of EC are very different from the clinical abortion methods that can be employed after implantation has already occurred. Another type of Emergency Contraception is represented by IUDs (intra-uterine devices); although you may be familiar with these devices as effective primary contraceptive methods, you should know that they can also be employed as EC agents.

Although Postcoital Contraception is quite effective, you should always keep in mind that this is only an emergency solution, which has been designed only for occasional use (in case one of your primary contraceptive measures fail – for example, the condom breaks). As such contraceptive methods are known to act before implantation occurs, they are considered by physicians and by law a form of contraception. However, some conservatives (religious persons) tend to consider Emergency Contraception as an abortifacient.

Postcoital Contraception

There are different types of Emergency Contraception agents. For example, progestin-only drugs present about 1.5 mg of progestin levonorgestrel in 2 tablets, which have to be taken in approximately 12 hours apart. Newer clinical remedies offer the patient the chance to use a single dose of the progestin medication, as it contains 750 μg of active substance. A patient who is interested in a different Postcoital Contraception agent can rely on the combined medicines (also commonly referred to as the Yuzpe regimen) which contain large doses of both progestin and estrogen; the administration of such products consists in the intake of 2 pills that should be employed 12 hours apart from one another. However, you should know that combined agents are less effective than the progestin-only remedies; furthermore, such medicines are less well-tolerated by the patient’s organism than the progestin-only drugs. Some scientists consider that the intake of several common combined oral contraceptive pills should have the same effect, provided that the same dosage of hormones is employed.

If you are not interested in using emergency contraceptive pills, you have an alternative Postcoital Contraception device: the IUD (copper- T intra-uterine device). This product can be used for up to 5 days after the unprotected sexual experience. The use (the insertion) of such a medical device has proven to be more efficient than the Postcoital Contraceptive agents that we have presented above. The pregnancy rates associated with the use of this medical device are the same with those of females who present normal IUD use. You may choose to leave your device in place following your menstruation; in this way you will be granted ongoing contraception. You should rely on your main health care provider to grant you with further medical facts concerning aspects related to such a therapy. Make sure that you are well informed of the risks that are associated with the use of such a contraceptive method.

Postcoital Contraception Treatment

The most common progestin-only Postcoital Contraception agents on the market include the following world-wide brand names: Levonelle, Escapelle, NorLevo, and Postinor 2. Mifepristone is a non-hormonal medicine which can be employed either as an abortifacent or as an ECP (this depends on the time in which this medication is administered – after or before implantation.

When dealing with the administration of this clinical remedy, you should know that while the use of low doses of this product are slightly less effective than the intake of large amounts of this product, it leads to the developing of fewer adverse manifestations. The most common side effect that has been associated with the use of emergency contraceptive medicines is nausea, along with vomiting. In case a woman who has ingested a Postcoital Contraception method vomits within 2 hours after the ingestion of a levonorgestrel-only medication, she should employ a new dose of medication. Other common adverse manifestations (which were present in about 20% of all individuals who were treated with such medical products) included: breast tenderness, dizziness, headache, fatigue, abdominal pain, and so on. Fortunately, such adverse manifestations do not last for more than a couple of days after the therapy course with the Emergency Contraception.

Another commonly experienced adverse symptom is disruption of the female’s menstrual cycle; fortunately, this clinical manifestation has a temporary nature. However, if the female’s period is more than a week late, taking a pregnancy test as soon as possible is recommended. If the medication is taken before the female’s ovulation, this may lead to the development of progesterone withdrawal bleeding – this symptom is expected to occur a couple of days after the patient has ingested the pills. Studies have shown that almost 50% of all females who are following such an Emergency Contraceptive routine have developed this symptom.