Emergency Contraception - What You Should Be Aware Of?

Contraception refers to something, which works to prevent a pregnancy from occurring. But what is emergency contraception? This sort of contraception is made use of in case other methods of birth control do not work or a woman has had unprotected sex.

This sort of contraception is also referred to as the morning after pill and postcoital contraception, which effectively means that it is taken after sex. Well, if while having sexual intercourse, there is a breakage of the condom or it slips off the penis, then it is a good idea to make use of emergency contraceptives, as should a woman if it so happens that she misses two or more birth control pillsover the course of her monthly cycle.

While it is true that a large majority of emergency contraceptives, which are available in the market today are in the form of pills, note that this is not the only form of emergency contraception. As a matter of fact, copper containing intra uterine devices (IUDs) happen to be the most effective way to prevent a pregnancy from occurring, but this is only true if they are fitted within five days of unprotected sex. Again, even in this case, the sooner, the better!

Most people believe that an emergency contraceptive is almost always successful in ending a pregnancy. This is quite inaccurate as the main intention of an emergency contraceptive is not to end a pregnancy, but to prevent it from happening in the first place. This is exactly why it is so essential to have an emergency contraceptive pill after sex as soon as possible. The longer a woman delays, the higher the risk of fertilisation taking place and pregnancy then being left to be a foregone conclusion.

It is important to keep in mind that emergency contraception is not a substitute for taking precautions when it comes to sex. As a matter of fact, it can be said that there is no substitute for being responsible and making use of condoms or birth-control pills in a prudent way. After all, who wants to have the stress and the repercussions of a potential unwanted pregnancy? It makes quite a bit of sense to take some extra care so that there is no need for anxiety, as it isn’t really required and sex remains as much fun as intended!