The pill is a concentrated dose of the same drugs found in typical birth control pills. Some morning-after pills contain only one hormone, progestin (Plan B) and others contain two, progestin and estrogen. Progestin prevents the sperm from reaching the egg and prevents the fertilised egg from itself to wall of the uterus (implantation). Estrogen stops the ovaries from releasing eggs (ovulation) to be fertilised by sperm.
TIMING
To be effective, the pill has to be taken within 72 hours of having unprotected vaginal intercourse, since human conception rarely occurs immediately after intercourse. A second dose should be taken 12 hours later. If your partner's condom broke around 4.00 a.m. on Saturday, the pill must be taken within 72 hours from the time the condom broke. The earlier the pill is taken, the more effective it is in preventing pregnancy.
Statistically, it has been shown that a woman can lower her risk of pregnancy by 75 to 80 per cent after a single act of unprotected Sex. However, if the woman is already pregnant, the morning-after pill has no guarantee in terminating the pregnancy and it could put mother and baby at risk.
The morning-after pill is easy to purchase without prescription and may be purchased by females 18 years and older and who must furnish proof of age. The Food and Dug Administration (FDA) in the United States took the decision to reduce the restriction on the sale of the pill with a view to reducing by half the nation's annual unplanned pregnancies. The pill was removed from the prescribed drug list and is sold over the counter. However, opponents believe that easy access to the pill would increase promiscuity among young people.
YOUNG GIRLS
There is the concern among local pharmacists that the morning-after pill, (Levonorgestrel), is being abused. There is in increase in use, especially among schoolchildren who purchase it as they would purchase 'sweets'. The recommended usage of the morning-after pill is no more than two times per month but some young people are taking the pill up to five times per month. This frequency will lead to side effects like internal bleeding. It is feared that older men who have sexual intercourse with minor girls could force them to use the pills to prevent them for getting pregnant.
Another concern of local pharmacists is that there may be a casual linkage between the increased use of (Levonorgestrel) and the declining sales of condoms, especially against the background of increases in HI V/AIDS cases in the region. The morning-after pill is designed to prevent pregnancy while condoms prevent pregnancy in addition to offering protection against sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS.
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