The Morning After Pill is an emergency contraceptive that can be taken within 72 hours of intercourse to prevent pregnancy.  The pill is a high dosage of the birth control pill, and when it is used properly, it prevents or end pregnancy.  Typically the pill comes in a kit including a pregnancy test, pills and an information book.

Why is a pregnancy test included in the kit? This is a great question. Urine pregnancy tests can detect pregnancy no earlier than 7-10 days after conception.  Therefore, a positive pregnancy test at this point would indicate that you have become pregnant from a previous encounter and should not take the morning after pill.  The manufacturers do not know the effect that the morning after pill can have on an existing pregnancy!

How does the pill work? 

This can vary from one brand to another.  But usually there is a series of pills that need to be taken within the first 72 hours, then more pills 12 hours later.  These could do one of three things depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle.  There is no way to tell which process will take place in your body.

1. Ovulation will be prevented; therefore the sperm will have nothing to fertilize.
2. Ovulation will be delayed.
3. If you have already ovulated, the lining of your uterus will become irritated and not allow a fertilized egg to implant into the uterus.

What are the risks?

Each of the following side effects was reported in at least 5% of women taking the Morning After Pill in clinical trials: abdominal pain, breast tenderness, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, headache, heavier menstrual bleeding, nausea, or vomiting.  Also the risk of future pregnancies being ectopic was increased by almost 10% in women who took the Morning After Pill.

But taking the pill wouldn’t be like getting an abortion… right? 

Wrong, if an egg has been fertilized (conception), and you take the pill, the pill will work to prevent the egg from implanting in your uterine wall.  If this happens, an abortion will occur, because the egg has already been fertilized.  The fertilized egg contains all 46 human chromosomes.  These chromosomes are the complex genetic design that will determine the hair, sex, eye color, skin tone and height of a child.