Emergency contraception
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Emergency contraception or EC refers to any type of contraception that is taken after unprotected sexual intercourse or after sexual intercourse during which the primary contraception is believed to have failed (e.g. a condom was used, but it broke). The missionary position is the most common position for sexual intercourse in humans The cowgirl sex position is a good position for kissing, caressing, and embracing of the paramour The Doggy position is thus named because canines as well as most other mammals use this position. ... A condom sealed in typical packaging A condom is a device, usually made of latex, that covers a mans penis during sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. They are also known as prophylactics, as well as a number...
Forms of EC include:
- Emergency contraceptive pill - sometimes refered to simply as "emergency contraception," (ECs or ECPs), formerly referred to as the "morning-after pill." ECPs prevent the implantation of a zygote after conception, not to be confused with chemical abortion drugs like Mifepristone (formerly RU-486). (While ECPs are used before the implantation of the embryo, those who claim that human "life begins at conception" consider ECPs to be to a type of "chemical abortion.")
- Intrauterine devices (IUDs) - usually used as a primary contraception method, but sometimes used as emergency contraception.
Contents |
A zygote (Greek: ζυγωτόν) is a cell that is the result of fertilization. ... A chemical abortion is a type of abortion in which a drug is used to induce the abortion, rather than a surgical procedure. ... Mifepristone is a synthetic steroid. ... Mifepristone is a synthetic steroid. ... Embryos (and one tadpole) of the wrinkled frog (Rana rugosa you beezie). ... An intrauterine device (intra meaning within, and uterine meaning of the uterus) is a birth control device also known as an IUD or a coil( this colloquialism is based on the coil-shaped design of early IUDs). ...
ECPs
Emergency contraceptive pills (here called "ECPs"), are an oral drug containing high doses of hormones found in regular oral contraceptive pills, which, when taken after unprotected sexual intercourse, may prevent pregnancy from occurring. As opposed to regular methods of contraception, ECPs are considered for use in rare cases only, for example in the event of contraceptive failure (such as a torn condom) occurs. A drug is any substance that can be used to modify a chemical process or processes in the body, for example to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, enhance a performance or ability, or to alter states of mind. ... 1. ... A hormone (from Greek horman - to set in motion) is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells) to another. ... Oral contraceptives are chemicals taken by mouth to inhibit normal fertility. ... The word intercourse in its broadest sense refers to any kind of human communication and interaction. ... A condom sealed in typical packaging A condom is a device, usually made of latex, that covers a mans penis during sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. They are also known as prophylactics, as well as a number...
There are several ways ("mechanisms of action") by which such drugs may work. Depending on the time during the menstrual cycle that they are taken, this drug may inhibit or delay ovulation, inhibit tubal transport of the egg or sperm, interfere with fertilization, or, in cases where it fails to prevent fertilization, prevent implantation. In this respect, emergency contraceptive pills work by triggering the same hormonal changes in the body as regular birth control pills or even breastfeeding —but they require much higher doses and are less effective than ongoing hormonal contraceptives. The phrase menstrual cycle ( or period) refers to the recurring physiological changes in a females body that are under the control of the reproductive hormone system and necessary for reproduction. ...
Ovulation is the process of discharging a mature ovum (egg) from an ovary after a Graafian follicle - representing the final stage of follicular development before ovulation - has been formed. ...
Look up Egg in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Egg has multiple meanings: The term is used synonymously with ovum, the female sex cell in animals and plants. ...
Schematic diagram of a sperm cell, showing the (1) acrosome, (2) cell membrane, (3) nucleus, (4) mitochondria, and (5) flagellum (tail) A sperm cell, or spermatozoon ( spermatozoa) (in Greek: sperma = seeds and zoon = living being), is the male haploid gamete. ...
Categories: Biology stubs ...
Implantation occurs when a fertilized zygote attaches itself onto the lining of the uterus. ...
A breastfeeding infant Breastfeeding is the practice of a woman feeding an infant (or sometimes a toddler or a young child) with milk produced from her mammary glands, usually directly from the nipples. ...
The phrase "morning-after pill" is a misnomer that is falling out of use due to the fact they are licensed for use up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse. Emergency contraception or "emergency contraceptive pills" is the phrase preferred by the medical community. There are issues for pro-life activists of whether fertilisation or implantation constitute the start of pregnancy, and while U.S. & UK law considers the pregnancy to begin with implantation (ca. 1 week after fertilization), the pro-life viewpoint claims fertilisation should be regarded as the beginning of life, and that ECPs cause a chemical abortion, particularly if taken after the 72 hour period. (See Controversy section for more detail.) Pro-life demonstrators at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 22, 2002. ...
Emergency contraception - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...
Types of ECP's
Emergency hormonal contraception is available in two main forms: the original version is the combined or Yuzpe regimen which uses large doses of both estrogen and progesterone taken as two doses at 12 hour intervals. This technique is believed to be approximately 75% effective depending on how soon it is taken after unprotected intercourse. With this regimen being less effective, and causing more side effects, than the more recently introduced progesterone-only method, specific products are being withdrawn (Preven (United States, Schering PC4 (United Kingdom) and Tetragynon (France)). This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Estrogens (or oestrogens) are a group of steroid compounds that function as the primary female sex hormone. ... Progesterone is a steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy (supports gestation) and embryogenesis of humans and other species. ...
The progesterone-only method uses the progesterone levonorgestrel in a dose of 1.5 mg, either as two 750 microgram doses 12 hours apart, or more recently, as a single dose. This method is now known to be more effective (up to 89 percent) and better tolerated (less nausea or vominting) than the Yupze method [1], and is available in the U.S. and Canada as Plan B, in the UK as Levonelle, and in France as NorLevo. Progesterone is a steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy (supports gestation) and embryogenesis of humans and other species. ...
The microgram (symbol µg, sometimes mcg) is an SI unit of mass. ...
"Dedicated products" such as Plan B and Levonelle are specifically designed and marketed as emergency contraceptive pills. It is also possible to obtain the same dosage of hormones, and therefore the same effect, by taking a number of normal Progesterone only pills. Progesterone only pill - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...
They are most effective the sooner they are taken[2]. Whilst the licensing (in the UK) is for the original 3days investigated by the WHO[3], subsequent WHO study suggested good effectiveness continued for upto 120 hours (5days)[4]. Doctors (in the UK) would though follow the licensing and advise alternative method for those between 72-120hours (see below).
ECP's as a birth control method
Emergency birth control cannot be recommended as the main means of birth control because it is not as effective as any ongoing method of contraception. It also does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. However, it is used by some as a back-up when other means of contraception have failed—for example, if one has forgotten to take her birth control pill or when a condom is torn during sex. It is also a first line of treatment for survivors of sexual assault. Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), also known as sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), are diseases that are commonly transmitted between partners through some form of sexual activity, most commonly vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. ... Oral contraceptives are contraceptives which are taken orally and inhibit the bodys fertility by chemical means. ... A condom sealed in typical packaging A condom is a device, usually made of latex, that covers a mans penis during sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. They are also known as prophylactics, as well as a number...
Contraindications & Interactions
Emergency Contraceptive pill should not be used by those with severe liver disease or the very rare condition of porphyria. The liver is an organ in vertebrates, including humans. ... The porphyrias are inherited or acquired disorders of certain enzymes in the heme biosynthetic pathway (also called porphyrin pathway). ...
The herbal preparation of St John's wort and enzyme-inducing drugs (e.g. antiepileptics or rifampicin) may reduce the effectiveness of ECP and a larger dose may be required (Levonorgestrel 1500mcg initial dose and an extra 750mcg after 12 hours)[5] else consider the use of an IUD (see below). Binomial name Hypericum perforatum Linnaeus, St Johns wort used alone refers to the species Hypericum perforatum, also known as Klamath weed or Goat weed, but is used with qualifiers to refer to any species of the genus Hypericum. ...
The anticonvulsants, sometimes also called antiepileptics, belong to a diverse group of pharmaceuticals used in prevention of the occurrence of epileptic seizures. ...
Rifampicin (INN) or rifampin (USAN) is a bacteriocidal (kills bacteria) rather than bacteriostatic (keeps bacteria from replicating) antibiotic drug of the rifamycin group. ...
An intrauterine device (intra meaning within, and uterine meaning of the uterus) is a birth control device also known as an IUD or a coil( this colloquialism is based on the coil-shaped design of early IUDs). ...
Side effects
There are rarely encountered, but may include headache, tummy ache, breast tenderness, vaginal ‘spotting’ of blood and dizziness. The next period may be a few days earlier or later than expected. A headache is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head; sometimes upper back or neck pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ...
Non-pill types of emergency contraception
An alternative to emergency birth control is the intrauterine device (IUD) which can be used up to 5 days (In some cases 7 days [6]) after unprotected intercourse to prevent pregnancy. Insertion of an IUD is more effective than use of Emergency Contraceptive Pills, reducing the risk of pregnancy following unprotected intercourse by more than 99%. IUDs may be left in place following the subsequent period to provide contraception for up to 12 years. An intrauterine device (intra meaning within, and uterine meaning of the uterus) is a birth control device also known as an IUD or a coil( this colloquialism is based on the coil-shaped design of early IUDs). ...
International availability
As of early 2001, women of age 16 and higher may obtain the morning-after pill in the United Kingdom without prescription. This was challenged by an anti-abortion group, but the High Court of Justice of England and Wales let the rule stand in April 2002. 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Her Majestys High Court of Justice (known more simply as the High Court) is, together with the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, part of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in England and Wales: see Courts of England and Wales. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
In 2000, the American Medical Association issued a non-binding recommendation that morning-after pills be available over the counter without prescription in the U.S. On December 16, 2003, an advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that the pill be made available over the counter.[7] The committee voted 23 to 4 that the drug should be sold over the counter and 27 to 0 that the drug could be safely sold as an over-the-counter medication. However, in May of 2004 the FDA refused this strong recommendation and prohibited over-the-counter sale. The FDA claimed that this was due to limited experimental data on the effects of such pills on girls under 16 years of age, but critics have accused the FDA of basing the decision on political pressure. [8] One year later, a new application from the makers of Plan B requested over-the-counter status for women aged 16 and older, but the January 2005 deadline for the FDA decision on this application has come and gone without a decision. Recently, the FDA has pledged to rule on the application by September 1st, 2005. However, in the United States, as of June 2005, seven states (California, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, Maine, and New Hampshire) had passed laws permitting trained pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception without a doctor's prescription. The American Medical Association (AMA) is the largest association of medical doctors in the United States. ...
December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
FDA logo The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the government agency responsible for regulating food (human and animal), dietary supplements, drugs (human and animal), cosmetics, medical devices (human and animal), biologics and blood products in the United States. ...
In May 2004, Canada's Health Minister announced that Plan B would soon become available from pharmacists in all provinces without a prescription. This occurred on April 28, 2005. The new system would still require the person to buy the pills directly from the pharmacist.
In January 2000, France decided to dispense Emergency birth control in junior and high schools by school nurses without prescription, because of high rates of undesired pregnancies among teenaged girls; after strong opposition from the Catholic Church, and much debate around the fact the teenager could later suffer from the doubt of not knowing whether fertilization had occurred or not, the decision was overruled by a court in July 2000. The French parliament changed the relevant law in October 2000 and now school nurses are again able to dispense the drugs. The emergency contraceptive pill NorLevo is now available in France without prescription, without parent authorization and for free for teenagers under the age of 18 since the 9th of January 2002. This article is about the year 2000. ...
The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ...
Emergency contraception is available without prescription in the following 41 countries: Albania, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Cameroon, Canada, China, Congo, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Iceland, India, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Latvia, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Controversy in relation to abortion
The morning-after pill should not be confused with mifepristone (also called Mifeprex, and formerly known as RU-486), an abortifacient which is taken to end a pregnancy after implantation has occurred. The morning-after pill must be taken before implantation, or it will have no effect. Mifepristone is a synthetic steroid. ... Mifepristone is a synthetic steroid. ... An abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion. ...
The morning-after pill may, however, prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in cases where it fails to prevent fertilization in the first place. Although many groups (including the United States Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) now define pregnancy as beginning with implantation, some pro-life medical professionals, embryology texts, and activists consider pregnancy to begin at fertilization. The United States Food and Drug Administration is the government agency responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, biologics and blood products in the United States. ...
The National Institutes of Health is an institution of the United States government which focuses on medical research. ...
Pro-life demonstrators at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 22, 2002. ...
Recent medical studies in animals (the rat and the monkey) were inconclusive as to how often or whether the morning-after pill prevents implantation; however, this mechanism of action cannot be ruled out in all cases, as it is impossible to prove a negative. Therefore, women who believe it is immoral to prevent a fertilized egg from implanting may wish to avoid use of this drug. The fallacy of negative proof is a type of logical fallacy of the following form: No one has produced an example of one; therefore it doesnt exist. ...
Issues against
Because such drugs are considered to be abortifacient by pro-life groups, it has been the object of controversy within the wider abortion debate. Other controversial aspects are the effect of such pills on a later-term fetus and the possible ability of EPCs to cause birth defects. An abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion. ... Pro-life demonstrators at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 22, 2002. ... Fetus at eight weeks A fetus (alternatively foetus or fœtus) is an unborn human offspring from the end of the 8th week of pregnancy (when the major structures have formed) until birth. ... A congenital disorder is a medical condition or defect that is present at or before birth (for example, congenital heart disease). ...
Pro-Life groups —dominantly Christian opposers of abortion in all cases (including embryonic stem cells) —claim that such pills are "abortion pills", rather than "contraceptive pills." As knowing the actual age of a pregnancy can be difficult, controversy over gestational age boundaries have been controversial, and both sides have claimed different definitions of the relevant terms. Pro-life demonstrators at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 22, 2002. ...
In its simplist form, a Christian is a follower of and a believer in Jesus of Nazareth. ...
Mouse embryonic stem cells. ...
A pregnant woman Human pregnancy is the part of the life reproduction process in which a human female carries a live offspring from implantation until childbirth. ...
Gestational age is age of a fetus (or newborn infant) from presumed conception. ...
Following, there have likewise been some discrepancies regarding the very term "conception" (fertilization). In a statement by the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists (AAPLOG), regarding the controversial morning-after pill, AAPLOG claims: Categories: Biology stubs ...
The morning-after pill, also termed emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs or ECs), is a oral drug containing high doses of hormones found in regular oral contraceptive pills, which, when taken after unprotected sexual intercourse, may prevent pregnancy from occurring. ...
- "[Again,] one must be careful of the terminology. Many now speak of "conception" as that moment when the human blastocyst, the early ball of approximately 100 cells, implants in the mother’s uterus (womb). The time from actual fertilization (sperm and egg unite in the Fallopian Tube) until implantation, a period of about 7-10 days, is ignored, even though no genetic change occurs in the cells during this time period. Many family planning specialists who have supported the terminology change can thus rationalize that the destruction of the human embryo between fertilization and implantation should be labeled "contraception", rather than "early abortion"." [9]
Issues for
Different drugs also have variant effects, as they may use different mechanism for action, and dosages of hormone. In May of 2005, a study was published confirming that Plan B absolutely does not have an effect on implantation. http://www.popcouncil.org/publications/popbriefs/pb11(2)_3.html The morning-after pill, also known as emergency contraception or emergency birth control, is a pill regimen that a woman can take up to three days after she has had sexual intercourse to prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in her uterus. ...
Emergency Contraception's Mode of Action Clarified: (Journal of Biomedicine, May 2005, Vol. 11, No. 2)
In addition, manufacturers of oral contraceptives have long claimed that the Pill provides three lines of defense against pregnancy: It prevents ovulation (most of the time), blocks sperm by thickening cervical mucus, and, should all else fail, theoretically reduces the chances that a fertilized egg will implant in the uterus by hormonally altering the uterine lining.
However, it is not known if this post-fertilization effect actually happens. "There is no evidence that the Pill's effect on the uterine lining interferes with implantation or has a post-fertilization effect," says contraception expert Felicia Stewart, MD, codirector of the Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy in San Francisco. "Documenting it would be a very difficult research task."
David Grimes, MD, a clinical professor in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, says the Pill and other hormonal contraceptives work primarily by preventing ovulation.
Consensus comes from a surprising source. "The post-fertilization effect was purely a speculation that became truth by repetition," says Joe DeCook, MD, a retired OB/GYN and vice president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "In our group the feelings are split. We say it should be each doctor's own decision, because there is no proof."
Further clouding the issue is the fact that even among women trying to become pregnant--women obviously not taking the Pill--fertilized eggs fail to implant 40 to 60 percent of the time. These are eliminated upon the next menstruation.
References
- ↑ WHO Task Force on Postovulatory Methods of Fertility Regulation. Randomised controlled trial of levonorgestrel versus the Yuzpe regimen of combined oral contraceptives for emergency contraception. Lancet 1998;352:428-433. (Abstract)
- ↑ Low dose mifepristone and two regimes of levonorgestrel for emergency contraception: a WHO multicentre randomised trial. Lancet 2002; 360: 1803-1810 PMID 12480356
- ↑ Reviewing editorial from the BMJ 2003;326:775-776 ( 12 April ) Editorial
- ↑ For women who are using liver enzyme inducing drugs, what dose of progestogen-only emergency contraception is advised? PDF members response 916 Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care - Clinical Effectiveness Unit
External links
- Center for Policy Alternatives – Emergency Contraception Policy Brief and Model Legislation
- Not-2-Late.com, the Emergency Contraception Website
- American Society for Emergency Contraception
- Get The Pill – Online Prescriptions for Emergency Contraception
- Go 2 EC – Emergency Contraception News
- Planned Parenthood – information on emergency contraception
- Plan B
- The Emergency Birth Control Organization – Information on Emergency Contraception
