The use of condoms is a reliable and effective method for preventing unexpected pregnancies. The use of condoms with other forms of birth control is even more effective, but there are times when everything fails the good-quality condom bursts, the IUD slips, the pill was forgotten in the rush to make it to work on time.
Life is filled with cascade failures. Fortunately, there is something you can do. Called the ‘morning after’ pill, this emergency form of contraceptive, called an ECP, contains a combination of estrogen and progestin, both of which will help prevent pregnancy if taken between one hour and 5 days after unprotected sex (i.e., sex without a condom or other birth control). This dual-hormone pill, though slightly more effective as a contraceptive, is not yet available in the U.S., though you can obtain it in the Scandinavian countries and Switzerland.
Other ECP contraceptives are progestin based only, and these are the most commonly available in the U.S. Called Plan B’s, they often use levonorgestrel, a form of progestin. The original protocol called for one .75 milligram dose within 72 hours, and another 12 hours later. However, recent studies show a single dose (1.5 milligrams) taken up to 5 days after sex without a condom or other protection is just as effective.
In some states, individuals of any age can get ECP contraceptives over the counter at any large pharmacy, or chain drugstore, without a prescription. In other states, individuals must be over 18, and you will have to provide proper identification (like a driver’s license, draft card, or school I.D.). Those under 18 will still need a prescription from a doctor or other healthcare provider. Your pharmacist will be glad to advise you about these contraceptives, and will do so discreetly.
There are also copper-based IUD contraceptives which when inserted 5 to 7 days after ovulation, or within 10 days of sex without a condom or other contraceptive device will help prevent a fertilized egg implanting in the uterus. Unfortunately, most women don’t know their day of ovulation, so this method is not entirely effective. However, a copper IUD contraceptive can be left in place for up to 10 years, provided the woman does not have an STD. Copper IUD contraceptives in the presence of infection can lead to sometimes severe pelvic inflammation, called PID, and these PIDs can scar a woman’s reproductive system so badly she can never have children.
ECP contraceptives make it much less likely you will get pregnant, but they are still not as effective as condoms, or condoms and another form of birth control. Also, ECP contraceptives do not protect against STDs. Protect your future, and the future of your children, by always having a condom handy. Keep condoms in the bedside table, in your wallet and purse, under the phone, and in the kitchen ‘junk’ drawer. By hiding condoms everywhere around your house, like spare keys, you will always have one when you need one. After the children arrive and discover a forgotten cache, simply explain to them how hard you tried to make sure you were ready for them; children don’t require complex explanations. By the time they want a more detailed explanation about contraceptives, you as a good parent will have provided them with an in-depth sex education and (hopefully) a few condoms of their own.
For more information visit: Safe Sex : Prepare for Every Possibility