"Personal" Emergency Contraception

[Brandye]

The thread here by prettynonsense regarding mifepristone as emergency contraception (morning after pill) has gotten me to thinking. Mife is not recommended as a morning after pill in much of the world because of the belief that it can harm an unaborted foetus. Using hormonal EC will not affect an established pregnancy. I do recommend to my patients that they ALWAYS have emergency contraception available.

The simplest way to do this is to always have Plan B with you - or in your medicine cabinet. Another way is what we used for decades before Plan B was brought to market - regular birth control pills used in different dosage. Many pills are approved for this purpose and for those, we have recommended doses: http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/dose.html#dose

These are US brands because that is the best website I found. You can cross reference to any brand, whether or not generic, to figure other pills available. I will not prescribe over the net and am not doing so. This site is a great resource for those who have a condom disappear inside them or wake up with a strong smell of semen emanating from their vaginas.

I leave it to your imagination to acquire the pills but recommend that any women not on hormonal birth control have something available.

By prettynonsense post, in India mifepristone is available in single dose 200 mg tablets for this purpose. My further research indicates that the same is true elsewhere. I cannot recommend that because I have no experience and my NHS has not approved mife for that purpose.

If you are on hormonal birth control and discover you are pregnant or do not discover pregnancy until a period is missed, the hormonal approach will not work. You will need to see a doctor and, perhaps, use mifepristone. Whether or not you choose to abort, see a doctor as soon as you supect pregnancy.

A site that applies to any country in the world (with a little more work):

http://www.cecinfo.org/database/pill...ieDisplay.php?


It is much simpler to do this research and get the supplies needed now than when you discover a torn condom.

[lovelytummykins]

I keep one under the sink always. I did not used to and every time when asked if I wanted one I said no because I take my BC everyday at the sametime religously so I thought I was careful enough not to need it. Wrong things happen and sometimes you forget or you run out and cant get more or what ever the case. So now I have one and it may never get used but at least I know that it is there if I need it.

[Brandye]

Every woman should have one available.