How often can you take morning-after pills?
There are no official guidelines on how often morning-after pills can be taken – and while using them as emergency contraception multiple times likely won’t do harm, you shouldn’t use them as your main form of birth control.
Emergency contraception pills have been used now for more than 30 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that not only are they safe, but “drugs used for emergency contraception do not harm future fertility. There is no delay in the return to fertility after taking them.”
Assurances like this from the WHO and many other organisations, including Planned Parenthood, that it’s possible to take morning-after pills as often as necessary to prevent an unplanned pregnancy, without significant health risks, have led some women to adopt them as their regular form of birth control.
“Many women use them more than they should,” says Clicks pharmacist Waheed Abdurahman. But he and other health professionals don’t advise them as a regular form of birth control.
The reasons?
1. The morning-after pill is intended only as back-up contraception for use in emergencies to prevent pregnancy, says Abdurahman. The hormones it contains prevent or delay ovulation, fertilisation or implantation of a fertilised egg in your uterus, depending on the stage of your menstrual cycle, when taken within 72 hours of having sex – the earlier the better. (It’s totally different to the RU-485 abortion pill, which works to terminate an established pregnancy once the fertilised egg has implanted and started to develop.)
2. The morning-after pill can have minor side-effects: headaches, nausea, tiredness, dizziness, breast tenderness, lower abdominal pain and spotting, though these are uncommon, mild and usually soon resolve themselves.
3. But most importantly, the morning-after pill is not the best way to prevent pregnancy. Taking it repeatedly is generally more expensive and less convenient than using conventional methods of birth control, and crucially, it’s less effective. “If there’s a need for regular use, rather start on a regular contraceptive,” says Abdurahman.
There are a number of birth control methods to consider:
• Implants are 99.9% effective and provide protection for three years with minimal side effects.
• Injectables are 99.8% effective and give protection for 12 weeks.
• Patches are 99% effective and are worn for three weeks at a time.
• The IUD is 99% effective and can be kept in for several years.
• The pill is 91-99% effective, taken as prescribed daily.
• The male condom is 98% effective, the female condom 95%, when properly used – only condoms give protection against STIs as well as pregnancy.
The morning-after pill prevents pregnancy 85-89% of the time, which many other contraceptive methods outstrip. Discuss them with your health provider to find the best option for your health profile and lifestyle, he says.
Taken as intended, the morning-after pill’s safety is well documented. But pharmacists like Abdurahman advise that while there are no official guidelines on how often it can be taken, it should be used as little as possible.
* Reliance on any information provided on this Website is solely at your own risk.
The content of this Website is provided as a service to you for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need medical advice, you should seek the advice of your healthcare professional.
IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com