Live Life Team
We all know that sometimes in the heat of the moment, things sometimes go further than they were intended to. There are also times when prevention was used, but was unsuccessful, such as a condom breaking. While the use of contraception before and during sex is highly encouraged to prevent pregnancy and in some cases, lower the chance of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, there are times when other methods are needed. These methods are called Emergency Contraception or EC.
The types of EC available come in the form of a Copper-T IUD or a hormone pill. If these are used within 24 hours of having intercourse, they have an effective rate as high as 95% in preventing a pregnancy. Although they can be used after that time period has passed, their effectiveness rate decreases over time. For instance, if these methods of contraception are used within 72 hours, the rate of effectiveness can decrease to 75%.
Both of these types of emergency contraception work by disrupting or changing the pattern of the reproductive system in the female. There may be some side effects associated with the use of emergency contraception. These side effects are often similar to the side effects that are associated with the birth control pill. These side effects may include nausea and headache.
Women should also be aware that the female body sometimes responds to these types of contraception in a way that is similar to the way it responds to pregnancy. This is due to the change in hormone levels. Individual women respond to this change in hormones in different ways.
