Emergency

Contraception

 

What is Emergency Contraception?

Emergency contraception (also known as the Morning-After Pill) lowers the risk of pregnancy by preventing or delaying ovulation but may also interfere with implantation resulting in the death of the embryo[1][2].

What’s the Difference Between Emergency Contraception and the Abortion Pill?

Although they seem similar, emergency contraception and the abortion pill are not the same things. While emergency contraception may work to prevent conception, all forms have the potential to interfere with the embryo’s attachment to the uterus. This is not a contraceptive effect, meaning preventing conception, but embryocidal, meaning death of the embryo. 
The abortion pill always works to terminate the pregnancy and is the only one that can end a pregnancy once it is attached[1]. Emergency contraception prevents the embryo from implanting properly in the uterus, resulting in its death[1].

Risks and Side Effects of Emergency Contraception

Common side effects of emergency contraception include[4]:

  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Cramps or abdominal pain
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Breast tenderness
  • Delayed period (up to a week), heavier bleeding during your next period, or bleeding between periods
  • Significant lower abdominal pain after taking emergency contraception may be a result of ectopic pregnancy.

Call us at 330-401-3947, text us at 330-401-3947 or make an appointment online. All services are confidential and free of charge!

    Please be aware that Appalachian Hills Pregnancy & Parenting Center does not provide or refer for emergency contraception or abortion services.

    Sources

    1. Embryocidal Potential of Modern Contraceptives. AAPLOG. (2020, January 15). Retrieved from https://aaplog.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/FINAL-CO-7-Embryocidal-Potential-of-Modern-Contraception-1.20.20.pdf
    2. Physician’s Desk Reference. (2023, April 13). Ella Drug summary: Mechanism of action. Retrieved from https://www.pdr.net/drug-summary/?drugLabelId=1278
    3. Saritha F, Aiswarya N, Aswath Kumar R, Dileep KV. Structural analysis and ensemble docking revealed the binding modes of selected progesterone receptor modulators. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2023;41(21):12401-12410. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2166999. Epub 2023 Feb 8. PMID: 36752314.
    4. Morning-After Pill: Emergency Contraception & Side Effects. Cleveland Clinic. (2022, July 1). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/23386-morning-after-pill 
    5. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, June 3). Morning-after pill. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/morning-after-pill/about/pac-20394730#  
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