Do I Need To Use Protection On My Period
Yes, if you dont want to get pregnant because there is a risk of pregnancy when youre on your period, to avoid getting pregnant you should begin taking long-term contraception.
If you need to get protection immediately the following contraceptives can be started straight away:
- The combined contraceptive pill
- Progestogen-only pill
Protection against STDs matters too you also need protection from sexually transmitted diseases as well as getting pregnant. Barrier method contraceptives like condoms can help here.
What if Im sure Im not at risk of pregnancy? even if youve carefully planned your periods using the rhythm method, there is still a chance you could get pregnant, so we recommend using another method of contraception.
Q: How Long Can You Wait To Take The Morning
A: Its ideal to take Plan B One-Step® within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. You can take it up to five days after, but theres a higher failure rate the longer you wait. Ella® can be taken up to five days later without a drop-off in effectiveness.
The copper IUD can also be placed up to seven days later. The Yuzpe method is best used within three days of unprotected sex.
If Your Cycle Is Altered By Plan B How Will You Know That You’re Not Pregnant
Experiencing vaginal bleeding after taking Plan B could be a sign that you aren’t pregnant. “You may experience bleeding similar to a period after taking Plan B, which may indicate that fertilization has not occurred,” notes Kakani.
Your cycle should also go back to normal soon. Most of the changes caused by emergency contraceptives like Plan B do not persist beyond one menstrual cycle.
If your period is over a week late after you’ve taken Plan B, there’s a chance that you may be pregnant, so consider taking a pregnancy test.
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There Are Other Types Of Emergency Contraception
There are other options for emergency contraception that may be better for you. A copper IUD and the ‘day after’ pill called Ella are both non-hormonal and can last up to five days after unprotected sex. Ella has a weight limit of 190 lbs while the copper IUD works at all weights.
However, Ella does need a prescription and the copper IUD must be inserted by a medical professional. So, some people might choose Plan B and other levonorgestrel pills for quick availability and easy access.
What Are The Side Effects
The side effects of ECPs can include headaches, abdominal pain, breast tenderness, dizziness, and fatigue, nausea and vomiting . If youâre prone to nausea, it can be a good idea to take an ECP with an anti-nauseant medication. If you vomit within two hours of taking a ECP, talk to a healthcare provider, as you may need another dose. Side effects often go away after about a day. Side effects tend to be stronger in combined-hormone ECPs . If you you are worried about any side effects after taking an ECP, talk to your healthcare provider.
Some people wonder if there are any side effects to using ECPs frequently. While ECPs should not be used as someoneâs primary method of contraception, repeat use is unlikely to cause serious harm and is safer than pregnancy . ella does specify that it is not recommended for use twice within the same cycle .
Most people who take emergency contraception get their next period sooner than expected, but it may also come slightly later . ECPs can also cause lightspotting .
People who donât get their next period around the expected time should check for pregnancy. It is common for the second cycle, and period, to be slightly longer after taking an ECP.
Taking an over-the-counter ECP if you are already pregnant has not been shown to causeharm to the fetus , but ECPs are not for use in someone who is already pregnant.
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Can You Take Plan B While On Birth Control
Plan B is a progestin-only pill you should take within three days of unprotected sex , and you can buy it over the counter. It interferes with ovulation so there’s no fertilization and, therefore, no pregnancy. The Plan B website states, “Plan B does not impact the effectiveness of any regular birth control methods, so you can continue your regular birth control right away or start one, if you don’t have a regular method.” The same goes for other progestin-only morning-after pills.
Board-certified ob-gyn and fertility physician Natalie Crawford, MD, told POPSUGAR this applies to going back on progestin-only birth control as well as traditional combination birth control with both estrogen and progestin. She explained that when taking regular combination birth control as contraception, for example, the estrogen in those pills feeds back to the brain so you never send out any of the FSH hormone that allows you to ovulate. “Taking a high dose of progestin with Plan B doesn’t change that estrogen process of blocking the brain,” she said.
Wendy Goodall McDonald, MD, who has worked in gynecology for 13 years, agreed. She, too, told POPSUGAR that taking either combination birth control or progestin-only birth control along with Plan B is fine. “You can take both at the same time because it really is just like additional ovulation blocking,” she said. “It’s not something that is working by a completely different mechanism.”
Your Period And Pregnancy After Taking Plan B
You and your partner had unprotected sex. Then you decided to take Plan B, or the morning after pill. Now what?
No worries! Lots of women have questions after they take Plan B. Its one of the reasons why we recommend you come in and see us for the morning after pill, rather than go to a pharmacy. When you come here, we will take the time to sit down with you and answer any questions or concerns you might have regarding how the morning after pill will effect your body and your cycle.
Lets address two of the most common concerns women bring up when taking the morning after pill:
1. Can I get pregnant after taking Plan B?
Yes! Absolutely! The morning after pill is not 100% effective in preventing pregnancy. Additionally, if the morning after pill was successful for you in preventing pregnancy from the incident, you can expect a rapid return to fertility after taking the medication. This means if you want to continue to protect yourself from pregnancy, you should resume your birth control method ASAP or see a doctor to start one. If you dont have a doctor, ! We can help you start a birth control method that fits your lifestyle and needs.
2. When will I get my period after taking Plan B?
If you have any other questions or concerns, please call us, or visit our .
To Our Valued Patients:
- If you have had any of the following symptoms of illness in the last 48 hours, call us to reschedule your appointment:
- Sore throat
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The Sooner You Take Plan B The More Effective It Is
Plan B can be taken up to three days from when you had unprotected sex, but it is most effective to take the pill as soon as possible. The pill will decrease in efficacy from day one to day three.
If you take the pill 12 to 24 hours after having unprotected sex, it’s around 95% effective, but if you take it 48 to 72 hours after, it will decrease to 61%. Since Plan B works to prevent ovulation, if you have already ovulated, then the pill will not work.
“It really matters where a person is in their menstrual cycle,” says Rebecca Jacobson, MD, an OB-GYN at Northshore Medical Group. “If you have unprotected sex right at the time of ovulation and then take Plan B two days after, it will be less effective than if you took it right away.”
Am I Using Contraception Properly
Using the pill correctly you need to take every dose of your pill at the same time every day for maximum protection against pregnancy. Things that can stop your contraceptive from working include:
- Medicines:
- Missing pills or starting a pack late can affect your protection
- You may need to use extra protection
- Detox tea
- These can flush your system so may induce diarrhoea or clear your bowels which can mean your pill wont be absorbed
- This will affect your protection against pregnancy
Using condoms correctly using a condom is the safest way to protect against STIs. Some of the misconceptions surrounding condoms can include:
- It doesnt feel natural there are examples which are thinner which can still make sex feel natural while using condoms
- I dont have any money for them you can obtain condoms for free from:
- GP
- Try using condoms without spermicide
Avoid damaging your condom:
- A condom which rips during intercourse can affect your protection
- You should use extra protection such as the emergency contraceptive pill if this happens
- Make sure you use the condom properly e.g. as the instruction manual states
Other methods such as pulling out before ejaculation can also be risky. This is because some of the fluid that leaves the penis before ejaculation, may contain some sperm and so can leave you at risk of becoming pregnant.
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Plan B Can Cause Irregular Periods
It’s perfectly normal to have irregular bleeding after you take Plan B. The pill interrupts the regular hormonal cyclical flow of your period, says Bennett, so it may take your body a bit longer to realize it needs to begin menstruation.
Your period may be delayed three to five days, or you may experience your period earlier than usual. You may also have some spotting as well, and a lighter or heavier flow.
Why Does Plan B Affect Your Period This Way
Plan B uses a synthetic hormone called levonorgestrel to prevent pregnancy by stopping an egg from being released.
Levonorgestrel is found in birth control pills, but Plan B contains a higher dose that can alter your bodys natural hormone levels.
The extra hormones can, in turn, affect the menstrual cycle, leading to an earlier or delayed period as well as heavier or lighter bleeding.
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Other Causes Of Bleeding
In the weeks after taking Plan B, light spotting between periods or a heavier flow are not typically a cause for concern. However, if these issues do not go away within a month or so, something other than Plan B may be responsible.
Heavy bleeding and intense pain can signal a serious underlying condition, such as endometriosis. Also, heavy bleeding can indicate an early miscarriage.
A healthcare provider should assess all heavy bleeding. If a persons periods are irregular and heavy, taking additional hormonal contraceptives can help. If the bleeding results from pregnancy loss, the doctor may recommend surgery to remove remaining tissue.
How Long Plan B Side Effects Last
“The duration of side effects is variable from woman to woman,” says Nina Carroll, MD and OB-GYN of Your Doctors Online. But here is what the experience could look like if you decide to use Plan B.
- Day 1: After taking the pill, you may experience mild side effects like nausea, vomiting, and pelvic pain. Some people may vomit within two hours of taking the pill. In this case, it is important to retake the pill to guarantee its effectiveness.
- Days 2 and 3: Symptoms may continue over the course of days two and three.
- Day 4: Most people will no longer experience the side effects of taking a Plan B after four days of using the pill.
- Days or weeks later: Menstrual changes are a common experience for its users and the symptoms may not show up until a woman’s next menstrual cycle, which may be anywhere from days or even weeks after taking the pill.
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One: It Outright Sucks
There’s this feeling I used to get after a night of hard drinking where I wake up hours before my alarm, feeling like a raisin inside an empty fish bowl, cartoonishly dehydrated.
It always comes with a pang of nausea that climbs up from my toes, sending waves of sweat pouring from all over and making falling back asleep impossible. This used to be my body’s way of being like âYou done f*cked up, now you gon’ puke.â
Waking up to that feeling after zero drinks was even worse. When you don’t drink much and you feel hungover, it feels extra sad, like you missed the fun and only got the consequences. I hunched over, skulked to the bathroom, and cried while the other side effects of barfing and extreme cramping began to take hold.
Reasons Not To Take Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception pills might not be a good option for you if you have a history of allergy to the medication, if you are significantly overweight, or if the unprotected sex occurred more than 120 hours earlier. There are no known medical conditions for which emergency contraception is unsafe.
Remember, even if its been more than 120 hours, and the episode occurred at mid-cycle, the chances of becoming pregnant are still low .
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What If Its Been Longer Than Expected And Still No Period
Its normal for Plan B to affect the timing of your period. But if its a week later than usual or still hasnt arrived within 3 weeks of taking Plan B, theres a possibility that youre pregnant.
EC pills containing levonorgestrel can reduce the chance of pregnancy by 95 percent if taken within 24 hours of sex. This lowers to 88 percent if the pill is taken between 24 and 72 hours after sex.
If youre unsure whether Plan B has worked, take a pregnancy test.
Take one straight away if you keep track of your cycle and know that your period is at least a week late.
But if youre not sure where you are in your menstrual cycle, wait 3 weeks after taking Plan B before using a pregnancy test.
Pregnancy tests detect a specific type of hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin , which is only produced a few days after conception. So taking one too early can produce a false result.
If your test comes back negative, wait a couple more weeks to see if your period arrives.
If it doesnt, take another pregnancy test and visit a doctor for advice on delayed periods if the result comes back negative once again.
If the result is positive, book a doctors appointment. Theyll be able to confirm your pregnancy and talk you through all the available options, including both medical and surgical abortions.