Let me guess. You are 21 and it’s your first ‘night out‘ (ehmm) with your partner. Both of you had a great time doing it under the shimmery night sky of the bright monsoon moon but now you are worried. You’re worried, what if the condom didn’t work (obviously you’d know if the condom broke)? What if the protection wasn’t enough? What if you get pregnant?
It’s natural to have apprehensions and doubts your first time. But thanks to the advancements in science and technology, there’s nothing that you need to worry about. As a tiny pill called the emergency contraceptive pill or the i-pill is there to take care of all such emergencies.
But before you pop in an i-pill there are some things that you need to know. Take a look:
1) Where to buy it?
Emergency contraceptives are easily available at pharmacies across the countries. The best thing about it is that you don’t need a doctor’s prescription to purchase it (like that?).
2) Your period could be different
Emergency contraceptives can disturb your period cycle. Don’t be surprised if you have heavier than usual periods of if your periods get preponed or postponed a bit.
3) Timing is the key
Emergency contraceptives can help you only if you consume it within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. While that might seem like an awfully long time, you must keep in mind, the longer you wait, the more chances are that you will get pregnant.
Sex (Photo: Pixabay)
4) It cannot be used for an STD
Remember, a morning pill is just used to avoid a potential unwanted pregnancy and it cannot be used to treat a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or an infectious disease.
5) It cannot be used for abortion
If you are a month late for your period, it might be the time to consult an OB-GYN. An emergency contraceptive cannot be used for abortion.
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6) Be careful about the side effects
Emergency contraceptives come with a host of side effects like nausea, dizziness, headache, mood swings, vomiting, stomach ache and breast tenderness and irregular periods.
Stomach Ache (Photo: Facebook)
7) They are 100% effective
It is possible that you might have taken emergency contraceptive immediately after having unprotected sex and you still would get pregnant. So if you skip your period, you know what to do.
8) You still will be able to make babies
Pheww. Good news gals. Even if you take emergency contraceptive frequently, it won’t affect your fertility and you will have no issues in making babies in future.
Weight Gain
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9) It may make you gain weight
Studies suggest that some emergency contraceptives may cause some weight gain due to fluid retention in some women. This, however, is temporary and goes away on 2-3 months.
10) It is not same as birth control
Emergency contraceptives are not same as birth control pills. You cannot pop them every day and have unprotected sex.
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