Morning after pills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Morning after pills - Essay Example e Morning - after pills just like a regular birth control pill although it is much stronger and it functions by preventing ovulation thus avoiding contraception or implantation if ovulation occurs (Ferri, 2012, pp. 285-287). Morning-after pills are common and they play a significant role in preventing an unplanned pregnancy in various situations but the drug is highly abused apart from having some adverse side-effects on its users. Morning-after pills contain hormones similar to the content of regular birth control pills and they prevent pregnancy primarily by preventing ovaries from releasing eggs. Moreover, the pills usually make cervical mucus thick hence prohibiting sperms from mixing with egg and causing fertilization. The functionally of the pills largely depend on the stage of the menstrual cycle in women. Watkins (2012) believes that depending on the stage of the menstrual cycle, the contraception may delay or stop the release of the egg, change the lining of the uterus, and finally alter the movement of the egg and sperm by limiting their speed (1463-1470). However, the morning-after pills are never effective for pregnancies implanted in the uterus. It should be noted that morning-after pills are not worth relied on and should only be considered as last chance contraception (Ferri, 2012, pp. 285-287). Effectiveness of the morning-after pills is within a certain period including immediately after unpro tected intercourse up to 5 days or 120 hours. However, they always work best when taken immediately after unprotected sex instead of waiting for the fifth day because the longer an individual waits for the pills, the lesser their chance of working. Ferri (2012) illustrates that there are two hormonal types of morning-after pills whose effectiveness, prices and side effects differ slightly (2855-287). The first type of morning-after pills is known as plan B that contains progestin hormone and is taken as 2 pills. Plan B pills can either be taken immediately