Contents
In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
The day after pill is the so-called emergency contraception, used after unprotected sexual intercourse by another method of preventing unwanted pregnancy. Contrary to popular belief, it is not an early abortion pill – it works by preventing the connection of female and male reproductive cells in the woman’s reproductive tract or by impeding implantation of the embryo in the uterus.
Types of tablets the day after
Two types are available tablets the day aftereach of which contains different active substances that act in slightly different ways. These are: Prevenelle tablets with a substance called levonorgestrel (synthetic progesterone) and EllaOne tablets with ulipsristal acetate. A tablet the day after Escapelle should be taken no later than 3 days (72 hours) after intercourse, and a tablet the day after EllaOne can be taken up to 5 days (i.e. 120 hours) after intercourse.
Both types tablets the day after in Poland, they are available at the pharmacy only on prescription.
When is the pill taken the day after?
The day after tablet is sometimes the only way to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. There are times when a couple gets carried away without using any method of contraception. It can also happen that the condom breaks during intercourse. Sometimes an unsecured intercourse occurs without the consent of the woman. Then the only solution is sometimes the so-called postcoital contraception (after intercourse), i.e. tablet the day after.
How does the tablet work the day after
The day after tablet Prevenelle contains synthetic progesterone, a hormone which acts to suppress ovulation, if taken before ovulation. Then, the woman’s body does not create conditions conducive to fertilization: even if there are live sperm in her genital tract (and they can survive in them up to 5 days after intercourse), there will be no ovulation and release of the egg, and thus – fertilization will not be possible. In addition, progesterone causes changes in the uterine mucosa, which make it difficult for the embryo to implant in it. The day after tablet However, Escapelle does not have a miscarriage effect – it will be ineffective if the embryo has already been implanted in the uterus or if the process has already started. Progesterone in tablet the day after it will not cause a miscarriage, on the contrary – it will have a supportive effect on the pregnancy.
The day after tablet EllaOne has a slightly different effect. It contains the active substance ulipristal acetate, which stops the ovaries from releasing an egg. The active substance tablets the day after EllaOne has progesterone-like effects and inhibits ovulation, as well as contributes to changes in the endometrium, which make it difficult for the embryo to insert into it. EllaOne can be taken up to 5 days after intercourse, but, like Escapelle, it does not guarantee 100% certainty that fertilization will not take place. As with Escapelle, tablet the day after EllaOne has no pre-abortion effect – that is, it will not cause a miscarriage if fertilized before it is given. If, within 3 hours of receiving any of the tablets the day after if you vomit, take another dose of the tablet.
Controversy over the pill the day after
According to the supporters of the application emergency contraception, or tablets the day after, it does not terminate the pregnancy and does not contribute to the death of the embryo implanted in the uterus, therefore it is not a abortion pill. It only makes the conditions necessary for fertilization to take place at all difficult, that is, for the sperm to connect with the egg in the woman’s genital tract and implant the embryo in the uterus.
Controversy around tablets the day after are related to the fact that different people understand the term “fertilization” differently. Since there is no (from a scientific point of view) a single “moment” at which fertilization occurs, or rather, it is a continuous process, it may be argued that fertilization begins as soon as the male reproductive cells (sperm) enter the woman’s genital tract, at least when the sperm cell enters the egg. Many doctors, however, understand the terms “fertilization” and “pregnancy” as the condition in which the embryo is implanted in the uterus – in this sense tablet the day after it does not show early abortion effect, because it does not remove the embryo already implanted there from the uterus.