EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION PILLS
The morning-after pill can be used as emergency contraception (EC) after unprotected sex or your birth control failed. There are two medications used for EC treatment: ella (ulipristal acetate) OR using levonorgestrel birth control pills a different way.
ELLA
Ella (ulipristal acetate) is one pill to use for EC. You must have a prescription. There are several places that ella is available including family planning clinics, community health centers, and campus health clinics. In some states including Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Vermont, and Washington your local pharmacist can give you a prescription for ella.
Ella is also available by ordering it over the Internet. The website is PRJKT RUBY™ (https://www.prjktruby.com); you must complete a free online medical consultation and the medicine will be shipped to you.
Ella is not meant to replace regular methods of birth control.
EC does not protect you against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
A condom must still be used to protect yourself from the HIV virus or other infections.
EC in the form of hormonal pills will not interrupt an already established pregnancy.
TREATMENT PLAN FOR ELLA
A.Ella has to be prescribed by a healthcare provider, including pharmacists in some states, or ordered online after a medical consultation.
B.Your provider will tell you full details about how to take ella and what to expect:
1.Ella should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex.
2.But ella can be taken up to 5 days (up to 120 hours) after unprotected sex.
3.Ella works just as well on the fifth day as it does if you take it on the first day.
C.The most common side effects include headache, stomach pain, nausea, painful period, tiredness, and dizziness.
D.If you have lower abdominal pain after taking ella, you need to go to the clinic to see if you are pregnant outside of your uterus; this is called a tubal or ectopic pregnancy.
LEVONOGESTREL-BASED MORNING-AFTER PILLS AVAILABLE OVER THE COUNTER (OTC)
Levonogestrel morning-after pills are available over the counter (OTC) without a prescription in most drugstores and pharmacies and include: Plan B One Step, Next Choice One Dose, Take Action, My Way, and AfterPill. Anybody can buy them OTC at drugstores, no matter your age or gender.
Levonogestrel morning-after pills are not meant to replace regular methods of birth control.
Levonogestrel morning-after pills do not protect you against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
A condom must still be used to protect yourself from the HIV virus or other infections.
EC in the form of hormonal pills will not interrupt an already established pregnancy.
Read and follow all the instructions.
TREATMENT PLAN FOR OTC LEVONOGESTREL PILLS
A.Take these pills as soon as possible after unprotected sex.
B.These morning-after pills work best if taken within 3 days (72 hours) after unprotected sex.
C.They can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex (the sooner the better).
D.The most common side effects include breast tenderness, headache, or dizziness. These side effects go away in a day or two.
E.Do not take more than one dose of either type of morning-after pill; it will not give you any extra protection from pregnancy and can make you sick.
F.Do not take a morning-after pill like Plan B with ella because they may counteract with each other and not work at all.
G.If you have lower abdominal pain after taking OTC EC, you need to go to the clinic to see if you are pregnant outside of your uterus; this is called a tubal or ectopic pregnancy.
LEVONORGESTREL-BASED EC USING BIRTH CONTROL PILLS
Levonogestrel pills for EC are not meant to replace regular methods of birth control.
Levonogestrel pills do not protect you against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
A condom must still be used to protect yourself from the HIV virus or other infections.
EC in the form of hormonal pills will not interrupt an already established pregnancy.
A.You will be given a prescription or a supply of birth control pills.
B.You must start levonorgestrel-based EC within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
C.It is best to start within the first 12 to 24 hours.
D.The sooner you begin EC, the more effective it will be.
E.The number of pills depends on the brand of the pill.
F.Your healthcare provider will give you clear instructions.
G.The birth control pills prevent pregnancy because the hormones cause the mucus in the cervix to thicken and the lining of the uterus and tubes to change.
H.You may not ovulate, but if you do ovulate, the egg will not be ready to be fertilized by a sperm.
I.Because you are taking more female hormones than you are used to, you may become sick to your stomach.
J.Your healthcare provider will tell you what medication to buy or give you a prescription for medicine to keep you from being sick to your stomach.
K.Take this medicine at least 1 hour before you take the hormone pills.
L.Other common side effects include breast tenderness, headache, or dizziness. These side effects go away in a day or two.
M.You should have a period a week or so after you take the pills.
N.If you have not had a period by 3 weeks, call the office.
O.It is unlikely that you would get pregnant, but if you do and choose to have a baby, the EC is not associated with any increased chance of birth defects.
Medication:
You Have Been Prescribed the Following EC Medication: ___________________________________________________________
You Have Been Prescribed the Following Nausea Medicine: ___________________________________________________________
You need to call us if you have any questions or problems.
You Need to Notify the Office If You Have:
A.Serious side effects of medicine.
B.Severe chest pain.
C.Severe abdominal pain.
D.Headache.
E.Vision changes.
F.Shortness of breath.
Phone: ____________________________
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