Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

Nobody’s perfect. Even the most responsible and obsessive of us have slipped up at some point. In a contraceptive emergency, it’s always good to know you have options so you won’t panic too much. A lot of women are not aware of emergency contraception. Lack of knowledge about emergency contraceptive methods has led many women to choose abortion when faced with an unplanned emergency.

Knowing you can protect yourself with emergency contraception in the event that something unfortunate happens may be better than deciding to terminate a pregnancy, going through the procedure, and living with the psychological scars of an abortion. While they don’t actually protect you from sexually transmitted infections, emergency contraceptives can prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse, a sexual assault, or when a condom breaks while making love. As the name applies, emergency contraception should not be used on a regular basis. You should be practicing a regular contraceptive method that is effecting and suitable for you.

Tip 1 - I forgot to take my birth control pill.

The doc says if it’s been less than 12 hours from the time you were meant to take your pill, take one as soon as you remember. However, if it’s been more than 12 hours, you should take two pills that day. Make sure you use a condom when you have sex during the balance of your cycle. The pill when used properly has a 99% success rate to prevent pregnancy. However, the more pills you miss, the higher your risk of falling pregnant.

Tip 2 - My contraception patch peeled off.

The doc says in our humid weather, it is easy for once a week contraceptive patch to peel from the skin. If it comes off, just stick it back on. If you have trouble getting your patch to keep in position and ‘hold’ ditch it and use a fresh patch for the remainder of the week. Make sure you replace your patch at every start of the following week.

Tip 3 - The condom broke during sex

The doc says you have two back up plans. The first is the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) which contains higher levels of progestin and oestrogen than the ordinary control pill. When taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse, the ECP can reduce the chance of pregnancy of 75%. The ECP comes with nasty side effects, though. About 20% vomit and 50% get nauseated. The ECP is available by prescription only, so if you think need it, speak to your family doctor.

By: Charles Stuart Gregory

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