How long does the emergency contraceptive pill last?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Trinh Thi Thanh Huyen - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Emergency contraception is a method of preventing pregnancy after having unprotected sex. Currently on the market, there are many types of stools according to the duration of action such as 120h emergency contraception, 72h, 24h emergency contraceptive pills... How long the emergency contraceptive pill works depends on the effectiveness of the pill. drug of your choice.

Emergency contraceptive pills are used in cases of male and female sex that are using natural methods of contraception such as external ejaculation, cyclical sex, and are uncertain about the effectiveness of contraception.
Some other cases such as forgetting to take the daily contraceptive pill or taking some drugs that reduce the effectiveness of the daily contraceptive pill, using the contraceptive injection but the next injection period is delayed, the condom slips. torn, unprotected before and during sex...
In these cases, emergency contraception is often the first choice because women can easily buy it at pharmacies around the world. country and high efficiency.

Emergency contraceptive pills contain female hormones. The composition of the emergency contraceptive pill is similar to the daily pill, but with a higher concentration, the emergency contraceptive pill immediately inhibits ovulation, thickens cervical mucus and thereby prevents Sperm move into the uterus. In addition, emergency contraception will inhibit the growth of the endometrium and prevent the implantation of an egg.

72h Emergency Contraceptive Pills
Currently, 72h emergency contraceptive pills contain the active ingredient Levonorgestrel and are available in two types, 1 pill and 2 pills.
Type 1 pill to take once only. Type 2 pills are divided into 2 doses, the first pill is taken as soon as possible after sex and the second pill is taken 12 hours after the first pill. Both of these should be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

120h Emergency Contraceptive Pill
The 120h emergency contraceptive pill on the market contains the active ingredient Mifepristone- an anti-progestin substance with a strength of 10mg. A single pill that works within 120 hours after unprotected sex.
In some cases, at 10mg, Mifepristone does not cause miscarriage but can cause bleeding in pregnant women.
Currently, there are no studies showing the duration of action of emergency contraceptive pills. So it's still possible to get pregnant if you take the emergency contraceptive pill and then have sex again without using any protection. Emergency contraceptive pills are only taken after sex to prevent pregnancy. So even though you may have taken it before sex, you still need to take another dose after sex to ensure effective contraception.
Other types of emergency contraception
In addition to the two types above, which are now quite popular, there are other types of emergency contraception on the market: 24h, 36h, 48h. And similar to the two types above, to achieve the expected effect, for 24-hour emergency contraception you need to take it 24 hours before sex, 36 hours to take it before 36 hours and 48 hours to take it before 48 hours.

Emergency contraceptive pills are recommended to take as soon as possible, do not use them too late after sex to increase the effectiveness of birth control. If you vomit after taking the medicine, then from the time you take the medicine to the time you vomit, you have to take another dose, and if you have more than 2 hours, you don't have to take it again.
If you are taking some drugs including tranquilizers, tuberculosis medicines, sleeping pills, medicines for high blood pressure, pain relievers and fever reducers...it can reduce the contraceptive effectiveness of birth control pills. emergency pregnancy.
Birth control pills only prevent pregnancy, not abortion. Therefore, the drug is only effective when there is no conception. That is why the drug is recommended to be used as soon as possible.

Using emergency contraceptive pills will experience some side effects such as menstrual disorders, headache, nausea, dizziness, breast pain...
Some side effects of emergency contraceptive pills are more severe. such as blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. In these cases, you need to contact your doctor immediately for timely treatment.

Don't abuse emergency contraception - that's advice from medical professionals. To protect your health, especially fertility, you should not use more than 2 doses/month and more than 3 times/year.
The abuse of oral contraceptives can cause ovarian failure, affecting women's fertility because high estrogen levels will inhibit the function of estrogen secretion from the ovaries, creating anti-estrogen. . In addition, the misuse of emergency contraceptive pills can cause menstrual disorders, functional bleeding during ovulation and is a risk factor for cancer.
In short, emergency contraception does not prevent pregnancy for the rest of your menstrual cycle. Therefore, to achieve high effectiveness in preventing unwanted pregnancy, you need to adhere to the correct time and dose of emergency contraceptive pills and should keep in mind that birth control pills should not be abused. urgent to protect your health.
Master. Trinh Thi Thanh Huyen is highly trained in obstetric ultrasound, laparoscopic surgery and hysteroscopy at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has more than 13 years of experience working at Hai Phong Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.
Currently, the doctor is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital