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The
Morning-After-Pill or Plan B:
The
Morning-After-Pill is know as "Emergency Contraception".
The Morning-After-Pill is by perscription only. The
treatment is dispensed in a kit that contains a patient
information book, a urine pregnancy test, and 4 required
pills.
The patient is instructed to take the pregnancy test
first. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU TAKE THIS PREGNANCY
TEST! If the test is positive, you are instructed NOT
TO TAKE the 4 pills. (You may be pregnant from a previous
intercourse.) The effects of taking the pills while
pregnant are not known. There are 2 doses and the first
must be taken as soon as possible but within 72 hours
of intercourse. The second is taken 12 hours later.
Side effects that are listed on the kit include nausea,
vomiting, menstrual cycle disturbances, breast tenderness,
headaches and fatigue. Risks include developing blood
clots, liver tumors, or heart attack and strokes. If
you smoke it greatly increases the risk of strokes and
heart attacks. You should have a three-week follow-up
appointment with a health care professional.
The
Morning-After-Pill works in 1 of 3 ways. It can prevent
ovulation, fertilization by altering the tubal transport
of the egg or sperm, implantation of the fertilized egg
(which already contains the genetic blueprint for every
detail of human development) by changing the lining of
the uterus. It cannot, however, protect against sexually
transmitted diseases.
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