POST-COITAL CONTRACEPTION: THE MORNING AFTER PILL (MAP)
There are situations when either no contraceptive precautions were taken, or the attempt failed, for one reason or another. In this situation, within seventy-two hours of ‘unprotected intercourse’ (and the sooner the better, according to recent research), taking two doses of combined oestrogen and progesterone twelve hours apart is likely to prevent implantation of a possible pregnancy.
It is fairly effective (failure rate about 2 to 3 per cent, apparently), but it should not be relied upon as a regular form of contraception if you are having frequent intercourse.
The MAP (usually two 50-microgram oestrogen and 250-microgram levonorgestrel combined oral contraceptive pills in each ‘dose’), is often preceded by an anti-nausea pill, as the relatively high oestrogen load can tend to induce nausea or vomiting. If you do vomit within two hours of taking a dose you may not have absorbed the hormones, and you will need to take another dose, preceded by an anti-nausea tablet.
It seems that the nastier side-effects of high-dose hormones don’t seem to happen with the occasional sporadic dose, like taking the MAP. Women do often experience some menstrual disturbance, like an early or late period or spotting. It is wise to have a pregnancy test if the next period is abnormal or delayed, as the method does have a failure rate. It may also be a good idea to consider a more reliable longer-term contraceptive, if you are needing one, and perhaps a check for STDs if you have had unprotected intercourse.
Post-coital IUD insertion. If an IUD is the method of choice for a particular woman, insertion within five days of unprotected intercourse can provide protection against that potential pregnancy. This has about the same failure rate as the MAP, but is much less commonly used.
*58\52\4*
