 | | | | Medical Health Encyclopedia | | Side effects of emergency oral contraception methods include: - Nausea and vomiting are common in both approaches, but particularly with the Yuzpe method.
- Fatigue.
- Headaches.
- Dizziness.
- Diarrhea.
- Breast tenderness.
- Fluid retention.
- Changes in the timing or flow of the woman's next menstrual period.
Immediate side effects typically subside within a day or two of taking the second dose. Family planning experts warn that emergency pill use should not be treated as a substitute for regular contraception. Copper-Releasing IUD. An alternative emergency contraception relies on insertion of a copper-releasing IUD within five days of intercourse. It can be removed after the woman's next period, or left in place to provide ongoing contraception. The copper IUD reduces the risk of pregnancy by 99.9%. Text Continues Below
Mifepristone. Mifepristone, also called RU486, Mifeprex, and the "abortion pill," blocks progesterone action so that the lining thins and deters implantation of the egg. Unlike emergency oral contraception, this agent can abort an existing pregnancy. A single dose used within 72 hours of unprotected sex can prevent pregnancy. Some researchers believe mifepristone may have the potential to be given in low-doses for on-going contraception, much like the combined pill. When used after pregnancy occurs, mifepristone is taken within forty-nine days of a woman's last period. The woman is given three pills by her doctor during her first visit, and then a second drug (misoprostol) two days later. The second drug, misoprostol, causes uterine contractions that will expel the embryo. A third visit is needed to ensure the abortion is successful. Women who have ectopic or tubal pregnancies cannot take mifepristone. Side effects include pain, and use of the pills may also cause nausea and bleeding. In four out of 2,100 American women tested, bleeding was heavy enough to require transfusion.
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