What is the Morning After Pill?

The MAP contains a high dosage of the hormone progestin, and when it is used as directed, it prevents or ends pregnancy.  It is marketed as “Emergency Contraceptive”.

How is the Morning After Pill Taken?

The MAP is designed to be taken in two doses.  The first pill is supposed to be taken with in the first 72 hours after intercourse, followed by the second pill 12 hours later.

Are there any other names for the Morning After Pill?

The MAP is often known by it’s brand name, Plan B, which was approved as an emergency contraceptive by the FDA in July 1999.  Certain oral contraceptives are sometimes used in large doses used in the same effect as Plan B, but that is not recommended.

How does the Morning After Pill work?

Depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle, the pill could affect you in one of three ways:

• Ovulation may be prevented if you haven’t already started ovulating (the egg will not be released to meet the sperm).
• The lining of the fallopian tubes (where fertilization occurs) may be affected so that the sperm cannot reach the egg, preventing fertilization, also known as conception.
• The lining of the uterus will become irritated, and if the egg has already been released and fertilized by the sperm, this irritation will interfere with the ability of the embryo to implant in your uterus.

Are there side effects?

Yes…there are several short-term side effects from taking the Morning After Pill.  These may include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Irregular and unpredictable menstrual periods
• Breast tenderness
• Fatigue
• Headache

In addition, the cramping and abdominal pain that may result from the use of Plan B may mask the symptoms of an Ectopic Pregnancy, a potentially life-threatening condition in which a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus (most often in the fallopian tubes)

It wouldn’t be like I was getting an abortion…right?

If an egg has been fertilized, and you take the MAP, it will work to prevent the embryo from implanting in your uterine wall.  If this happens, an abortion will occur, because each human life begins as an embryo.
Shortly after the sperm penetrates the egg, 46 human chromosomes come together into a complex genetic design that helps to determine the unique characteristics of a new individual-the eye and hair color, gender, skin tone, height and even the intricate swirl of the fingertips.  That new life may not be able to implant and continue to grow because of the effects that the hormones in the pills have on your uterine wall.

How can you know if an egg has been fertilized? 

That’s the problem-you can’t know.  But we do know that the sperm can reach the fallopian tubes mere minutes after intercourse, and if an egg has already been released, conception could occur.
So, there is a possibility that by the time you wake up the “morning after”, a new human life may have come into being.  If that’s the case, when you take the MAP, it will cause a very early abortion.
The Morning After Pill cannot guarantee the prevention of pregnancy, nor does it protect you from sexually transmitted infections or diseases.

©2007 Focus on the Family (www.family.org)