Emergency Contraception Questions And Answers From Teenagers

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Emergency Contraception Questions And Answers From Teenagers

Some young women don't even know it exists, others see it as a get-out-of-jail-free card after unprotected sex – but when it comes to the morning after pill, you're better off avoiding being in either of these two groups. Roughly 95 per cent effective, the morning after pill contains hormones which stop an embryo – if there's one hanging around – from attaching to the womb lining. It's not as simple as it sounds, though – disruption of your menstrual cycle is one complication, and it offers none of the protection against sexually transmitted diseases that other forms of contraception can give you. Misunderstandings about the treatment are rife: even the name, for example, is misleading, as there is more than one pill and it can be actually be used within 72 hours of sex. In fact, if you're a normal teenager, the whole morning-after pill issue is probably riddled with questions you're too afraid to ask. Check out our readers' queries and expert responses below, and you'll see that you're not the only one looking for the answers.

Since I was about 17 I have had regular periods – 26 days exactly every time. Last Tuesday I had sex and the condom split. We took his penis out as soon as we realised (seconds before ejaculation) so he came on my bottom and the bed sheets. I got the morning after pill as a precaution, and took it properly. The first tablet was 25 hours after sex. I experienced no bleeding or 'spotting'. Is this good or bad? I was due to come on today (Monday) but my period didn't start. I got so worried I took a home pregnancy test today, and it was negative. However, this evening I had waves of nausea and was nearly sick at one point (my stomach muscles contracted). Could the delayed period be because of stress (I am moving next week)? Or could I have worried about pregnancy so much that I will miss this period? This has never happened to me before though. Please help me. I have no idea what is going on with my body. If I am pregnant I need an abortion this week because I am leaving home next week to go to university, but I cannot afford to pay for a private abortion.

It must be very stressful to have the worry of a possible unplanned pregnancy on top of leaving home to become a student. You're right that stress can affect your cycle, but a delayed period is also one of the possible side-effects of the morning after pill. Bleeding, or 'spotting', is something that sometimes happens, not something that always does. The morning after pill is very effective when taken properly and you were well within the 72-hour time limit. Another good thing is that your boyfriend did not come inside you. It is possible that some of his sperm got inside your vagina, but it is less likely than if he had not withdrawn. Nausea can be a sign of pregnancy for some women, but can also be caused by anxiety. You also say that your test was negative. Pregnancy test kits are very reliable and most can detect pregnancy as early as the first day of a missed period, which is when you did yours.

Taking all these factors into account I think the chances are good that you aren't pregnant, but of course you need to be sure. If you still haven't started your period in a couple of days time, you could do another home pregnancy test. But it might help for you to see a doctor, who could check out your other symptoms as well as doing another pregnancy test.

This morning me and my boyfriend had a condom split on us. He felt it and took it out before he had come but we don't really know how long it had been split before that. I am due to come on in the next week, do I still need to take the morning after pill even though he didn't ejaculate?

Although you describe what happened you would need a doctor's opinion to see if they felt you should still take the emergency contraceptive pill. A man does not need to ejaculate (come) inside the vagina to get a woman pregnant. The man releases a fluid before he comes which contains some sperm and could make you pregnant. The emergency contraceptive pill must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. You can also have a coil (IUCD) fitted to prevent pregnancy up to five days after unsafe sex. The earlier you get emergency contraception the better.

While having sex with my girlfriend, the condom split. She took the morning after pill at the very end of the 72 hours period (the last pill was taken on the 72nd hour) and was due to come one yesterday (4 days after taking the pill) but hasn't. However, she's now really stressed as she feels like she hasn't got any of the usual period signs (bad back etc). I think she has – she says she feels bloated and is really worked up when normally she would be fairly calm, and as she is only a day late, I'm not yet too worried. My question is – is it worth getting a pregnancy test yet? Should she have come on within a couple of days of taking the pill? Does the morning after pill have any effects on when menstruation occurs (e.g. delaying it)? Also, what can a young man say to his irrational, stressed-out girlfriend of 8 years that will help calm her down?

Your girlfriend is obviously very worried. With emergency contraception, as long as the first pill was taken within the 72 hours it doesn't matter if the second one was taken outside that time as long as it was taken 12 hours after the first one. If the pills were Schering PC4 then all the pills need to be taken within the 72 hours. You say that the last pill was taken on the 72nd hour – I would suggest that this is fine. These pills contain hormones which prevent any egg from attaching to the lining of the womb and it is about 95% effective. Because this pill contains a strong dose of hormones, it can often affect the menstrual cycle afterwards. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to go to the GP and discuss with them how it might affect hers. As you probably know, communication is really important in any relationship. However, men and women communicate in different ways and not understanding the differences can lead to misunderstandings. Women need to be listened to when they are worried or upset. They need their partners to know how they are feeling, this alone makes them feel closer to them. They don't really want advice about how to fix the problem (which men instinctively want to do), they want to be able to say how they feel and know that they are being treasured by their partner. To listen and be sympathetic to your girlfriend's feelings will probably really help her to calm down.

I took the 'morning after' pill a couple of weeks ago and I came on two weeks early. Should I be worried?

The morning after pill (or emergency contraception) can affect your menstrual cycle and this is probably why you had a period two weeks early.

I had unprotected sex last Thursday night and took the morning after pill the next day. Then I was stupid enough to do it again the following Sunday night. I took the morning after pill again but I read that it doesn't work the second time if you have unprotected sex again before your next period is due. I'm terrified that my stupidity may have got me pregnant.

You are obviously very worried by what has happened and what you have read about the emergency contraceptive pill. I don't know where you heard that the emergency contraception doesn't work the second time if you have not yet had your period, but this is not correct. Although not the best thing to take regularly, it does still work and is about 95% effective when taken like this. Emergency contraception is not the best form of contraception to keep using regularly so it would probably be worth talking to them about other forms of contraception so that you don't have this worry again in the future. As you are probably aware, having unprotected sex also puts you at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as HIV, herpes and chlamydia. You cannot tell if someone is healthy or not just by looking at them and it is really important to take personal responsibility for your own body so that you do not have future regrets.

How safe are condoms and the morning after pill? And what causes them to fail? If my girlfriend and I had unprotected sex and then she took the morning after pill the next day would that mean there's no chance of her getting pregnant?

No contraceptive is 100% safe. If used according to the instructions, the male condom is 98 per cent effective. This means that two women in 100 will get pregnant in a year using the male condom as their only means of contraception. If used in combination with a diaphragm, IUD, contraceptive pill, cervical cap, spermicidal foam, cream or jelly, protection from unplanned pregnancy is almost 100 per cent effective. If it is not used according to the instructions, then the chance of pregnancy is higher.

The main reasons for failure in using a condom are:

·	It splits during sex. To guard against this, always use a condom with a BSI Kitemark or CE mark on the back and check the expiry date on the packet.

·	It slips off during sex. This is most likely to happen if the condom has not been put on correctly in the first place.

·	An oil-based lubricant has been used which may damage the latex. To guard against this, always use a water-based lubricant such as KY jelly, available at any pharmacy.

·	The man's penis has touched the woman's vagina before the condom has been put on.

Emergency contraceptive pills (sometimes called the 'morning after pill') are very effective, preventing at least three out of four pregnancies that would have occurred if no emergency contraception had been taken. They should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex and are most effective if the first dose is taken within 24 hours. They must be taken within three days (72 hours).

The most common reasons for failure of the emergency contraceptive pills to protect against unplanned pregnancy are:

·	The first dose is taken more than 72 hours after unprotected sex.

·	The woman vomits within two hours of taking the pills.

·	The woman forgets to take the second set of pills or takes them late.

·	The woman has had unprotected sex at another time since her last period.

·	The woman has had unprotected sex after taking the pills.