Check In With Yourself
Make sure you take time to ask yourself how youre feeling.
Its normal to experience a wide range of emotions after sex without a condom, whether thats worry, anger, or sadness.
Try to speak to friends or family about the situation so that they can support you.
If you arent comfortable speaking to anyone you know, consider reaching out to Planned Parenthood or the National Coalition for Sexual Health for help.
Sex At Week 2 Of Pregnancy
Once youre familiar with your menstrual cycle, try to have sex on the days leading up to your ovulation. Since the egg only lives for 12 to 24 hours, having sex before you ovulate will give sperm a better chance to swim up your Fallopian tubes while the egg is still viable.
Sperm can live up to 6 days in your reproductive system, so have sex regularly during your second week of pregnancy. After sexual intercourse, millions of sperm rush to the uterus. Several hundred of them get to the fallopian tube with only one or two reaching the target.
These are some of the things you can do during the early days of pregnancy:
- track your fertile window
- keep an eye out for ovulation signs
- take an ovulation test
- take your prenatal supplements
Shifting To Regular Contraception
Following use of ECPs, women or girls may resume or initiate a regular method of contraception. If a copper IUD is used for emergency contraception, no additional contraceptive protection is needed.
Following administration of ECPs with levonorgestrel or combined oral contraceptive pills , women or girls may resume their contraceptive method, or start any contraceptive method immediately, including a copper-bearing IUD.
Following use of ECPs with ulipristal acetate , women or girls may resume or start any progestogen containing method on the 6th day after taking UPA. They can have an LNG-IUD inserted immediately if it can be determined they are not pregnant. They can have the copper IUD inserted immediately.
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The Iud As Emergency Contraception
The intrauterine device is a small, T-shaped contraceptive device made from plastic and copper. Its inserted into the uterus by a trained health professional. It may prevent an egg from implanting in your womb or being fertilised.
If youve had unprotected sex, the IUD can be inserted up to 5 days afterwards, or up to 5 days after the earliest time you could have ovulated to prevent pregnancy.
You can also choose to have the IUD left in as an ongoing method of contraception.
Most women can use an IUD, including women who have never been pregnant and those who are HIV positive. Your GP or clinician will ask about your medical history to check if an IUD is suitable for you.
You should not use an IUD if you have:
- an untreated STI or a pelvic infection
- certain abnormalities of the womb or cervix
Women who have a heart condition should speak to their GP or cardiologist before having an IUD fitted.
Organise Contraception For Next Time
If youre using condoms as your main method of contraception and you find youre having a few slip ups with them, think about switching to a more reliable type of contraception.
Long-lasting contraceptives like the IUD and implant are really effective at preventing unintended pregnancies and they last for 3 to 10 years. There are heaps of options available though and our nurses are here to help you decide what type of contraception will work best for you.
Whichever type of contraception you decide to use, remember to use condoms as well if you want to protect yourself from STIs.
Using a condom plus your regular method of contraception will help protect you from unintended pregnancies and STIs.
Family Planning has clinics located throughout New Zealand. Use the clinic finder to find your nearest clinic.
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Emergency Contraception Pills And Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills
WHO recommends any of the following drugs for emergency contraception:
- ECPs with UPA, taken as a single dose of 30 mg
- ECPs with LNG taken as a single dose of 1.5 mg, or alternatively, LNG taken in 2 doses of 0.75 mg each, 12 hours apart.
- COCs, taken as a split dose, one dose of 100 μg of ethinyl estradiol plus 0.50 mg of LNG, followed by a second dose of 100 μg of ethinyl estradiol plus 0.50 mg of LNG 12 hours later.
How To Avoid Pregnancy After Intercourse Naturally
An unintended or unplanned pregnancy can come as a shock or even dreadful news and force people to take life-altering decisions.
Each year almost 3 million women in the United Stated alone face this issue.
An unintended pregnancy may occur due to skipped contraception, improper use of contraception or contraception failure.
Whatever might be the reason, if you think that you might be at risk of getting pregnant after intercourse then there is an array of home remedies using natural ingredients for preventing unwanted pregnancies that you can choose from and use.
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When Can You Have A Surgical Abortion
If you arent able to take the abortion pill or you prefer to have a surgical termination, you will have to wait a little longer. Two different types of surgical abortion are available:
- Manual Vacuum Aspiration can be performed from 7 weeks and is available up to 15 weeks
- Surgical termination of pregnancy is available from 15 weeks to 19 weeks
Although terminations can be performed quite late in pregnancy, its best to get help as soon as possible. You have more options for abortion earlier on and there are less likely to be complications if you can end the pregnancy earlier.
Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception is not an abortion. It can prevent you from getting pregnant if you take it within 72 hours of unprotected sex. If its still early enough to prevent a pregnancy then this is a much better option than an abortion. All youll need to do is take the emergency pill or have a contraceptive IUD or IUS fitted. It will stop you from ovulating, which means there will be no egg available for fertilisation. Emergency contraception is most effective when you take it as soon as possible, but no contraception provides 100% protection. If you end up pregnant anyway then you will be able to have an abortion any time after your first missed period at 4 weeks.
How long did it take you to realise you were pregnant? Did you make an appointment right away or take some time to think first?
What Are Fertility Awareness Methods
Fertility awareness methods are ways that people can track their monthly menstrual cycles and identify their least fertile days.
People who do not wish to become pregnant can then plan to have sex on those days. They may also wish to avoid having vaginal sex or use birth control on the days they identify as particularly fertile.
FAMs are also sometimes known as natural family planning or the rhythm method.
There are different types of FAMs that people can use to identify their most and least fertile days. Some people use just one, while others use a combination of the following.
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/5when Is The Right Time To Take The Test
The best time to take the pregnancy test is after your period is late. You can take the test from the first day of your missed period. Some test kits show positive as early as 4 or 5 days before your period is due. Taking the test after a missed period can help you avoid false negatives and the false positives of very early miscarriages. If your menstrual cycle is irregular then wait for 35 to 40 days before taking the test for an accurate result.
Where Can I Get Emergency Contraception
You can get the emergency contraceptive pill and the IUD for free from:
- a GP practice that provides contraception
- a contraception clinic
The doctor or nurse you see may ask:
- when you have had unprotected sex in your current menstrual cycle
- the date of the first day of your last period and the usual length of your cycle
- details of any contraceptive failure
- if you’ve used any medications that may affect your contraception
If you’re aged 13 or over, you can get contraception from the majority of pharmacies in Scotland, usually free of charge.
If you are not eligible for NHS Scotland services, you can buy the emergency contraceptive pill from most pharmacies. The cost varies, but it will be around £30 to £35.
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What To Do For Next Time
As thrilling as unprotected sex, maybe it is not worth the risk. A pregnancy scare if youre not ready to have a baby can be terrifying. It is also not good for your emotional and physical well-being to run around to make sure youre not pregnant. For some women taking oral contraceptives may cause unpleasant symptoms. However, that doesnt mean you cant enjoy sex without a condom. It would help if you didnt try to skip protection. You can choose nonharmonic contraceptives the next time you decide to have sex.
How To Speed Up Recovery After The Abortion
Though you can get back to a normal routine within a few hours of abortion, it is advisable to take rest for two to three days for your body and mind to cope with the exhaustion .
- Do not lift heavy objects that weigh over 50 pounds. They may aggravate bleeding and lead to complications.
- Do not indulge in exercise, including biking, running, and aerobics, to avoid risks.
- Monitor your body temperature every day at least for a week as high temperatures might indicate an infection.
- Avoid intercourse as the cervix is still tender and will not close quickly. Avoiding sex also decreases the risk of infections. Talk to your doctor to know what the best time to return to sexual activity is.
- Use hot compress, such as a hot water bottle or a heating pad on your belly to get relief from cramping and pain.
Image: Shutterstock
- Avoid swimming and tub bathing for at least two weeks. Otherwise, it may cause irritation and infection in the vaginal area.
- Include a rich diet of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, protein, whole grains, and drink a lot of water.
It is advisable to see a doctor within a month after abortion to check if the healing is complete.
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Who Can Use Emergency Contraception
Any woman or girl of reproductive age may need emergency contraception to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. There are no absolute medical contraindications to the use of emergency contraception. There are no age limits for the use of emergency contraception. Eligibility criteria for general use of a copper IUD also apply for use of a copper IUD for emergency purposes.
Copper Iud After Unprotected Sex
Another type of emergency contraception is a copper IUD , which needs to be inserted by a doctor within five days after unprotected intercourse.
“It seems to work by increasing cervical mucus and repelling sperm,” said Beth Jordan, MD, former medical director for the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. Unlike the two emergency contraceptive pills, the copper IUDif you keep it inis effective for 10 or more years.
It could be costly, however, if your insurance doesn’t cover it: $500 to $1,000, according to Planned Parenthood. Side effects include cramping and bleeding between periods they usually go away after the first few months.
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How Much Do The Pills Cost
The cost of misoprostol varies around the world. But misoprostol is widely available, so its generally not very expensive. Manufacturers sell the pills to pharmacies for very little costless than $0.05 USD per pill. The highest sales price found in a recent study was $2 USD per pill.
Misoprostol is usually an affordable option for someone seeking an abortion. Of course, some pharmacists or medicine sellers may take advantage of people seeking misoprostol and try to charge too much for the pills. You can ask people you trust if they know how much the pills should cost where you live, or you can search the internet for local cost information. But remember: Misoprostol should not be expensive.
Pre-packaged combi-packs of mifepristone and misoprostol are only available in a limited number of countries , and they are less likely to be sold without a prescription. If you live in a low- or middle-income country where combi-packs are available, the prices are likely controlled, and a combi-pack should cost less than $20 USD.
How Well Does Emergency Contraception Work To Prevent Pregnancy
About 1 or 2 in every 100 women who use ECPs will become pregnant despite taking the pills within 72 hours after having unprotected sex.
The “morning-after” name is somewhat misleading: You don’t have to wait until the next morning to take ECPs. Emergency contraception is most effective when taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex.
Emergency contraception will not prevent pregnancy if unprotected sex happens after taking the ECPs.
Emergency contraception does not prevent all pregnancies. So see a doctor if you don’t get your next expected period after taking ECPs.
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How Many Days Post Ovulation Can You Test
Most pregnancy tests recommend waiting until the first day of your missed period to test.
This will fall around 14-15 DPO or roughly two weeks after ovulation.
So why the long wait?
Well, by then youll have a 99% chance of getting an accurate result, assuming you followed the instructions to the T.
This is because most tests need hCG levels of 25 mIU/mL to yield a big fat positive.
After implantation, hCG levels double roughly every two days before peaking around week 10.
Yet it takes several days for hCG to reach that magic threshold and give you a positive result on your pregnancy test.
If you had a late implantation but tested too early, your hCG may not be high enough to give you a positive result even if youre pregnant!
This can put you through a lot of unnecessary heartbreak.
So for the most accurate results, its best to wait until around 14-15 DPO to take a pregnancy test.
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Im Pregnant And Dont Want To Be: Plan B Or Abortion Pill
Youre pregnant, dont want to be, and arent sure what to do. You may be wondering which medication can be used to end the pregnancy.
The abortion pill and Plan B are not the same, and they should not be taken interchangeably. The abortion pill ends an early pregnancy. Plan B is emergency contraception designed to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. If youre worried theres a chance you may be unintentionally pregnant, heres how to safely navigate the next steps for your health.
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What Are Emergency Contraceptive Pills
Emergency contraceptive pills are high dose birth control pills. They arent 100% effective, but they do reduce the chance of getting pregnant by 75%. For example, if 100 women have unprotected intercourse once in the second or third week of their cycle , eight would get pregnant if they didnt use emergency contraception but only two would become pregnant if they took emergency contraception.
Emergency Contraception: Preventing Pregnancy After You Have Had Sex
If you have had sex in the past few days, it isnt too late to prevent a pregnancy using emergency contraception. Although sometimes called the morning after pill, emergency contraception can be used up to three days after intercourse .
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Take The Emergency Contraceptive Pill
The ECP can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex, but new research shows its effective up to four days after sex.
We say the sooner you take it, the better, so make an appointment at Family Planning or with your doctor as soon as possible.
Dont forget we run drop-in sessions from many of our clinics, so you might not even need an appointment.
If you cant get to a clinic or a doctor in time, you can still buy the ECP at the pharmacy without a prescription although this can be more expensive.
The ECP is 98% effective for women of an average weight.
Is It Safe To Use Ec More Than Once During A Single Menstrual Cycle
Yes, its safe to use morning-after pills multiple times in one menstrual cycle.
But frequent use of these pills isnt the best birth control plan. For one, it will probably cost more than planned birth control. And you may not always have enough time to find and get to a pharmacy that has pills in stock. It may also take some time to receive and fill a prescription.
If a patient uses EC often, I suggest other, more effective types of contraception. There are many different options. These include
-
daily birth control pills
-
injections given every 3 months
There also are long-acting reversible birth control options, such as implants and IUDs. For women who need EC and also want long-term contraception, the copper IUD is a good choice. It can prevent pregnancy for many years.
With so many choices, theres no need to think about birth control every day, every monthor even every yearif you dont want to.
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