Bio 32: Interruption of Reproduction

The "Morning After Pill"

Unfortunately, things do not always go as planned. If a condom breaks or a diaphragm slips, a good way to prevent pregnancy is to take the "Morning After Pill" after intercourse.

A more proper name for the drug is the Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP), as it is actually effective up to 72 hours, not just the morning after. It is possible that the drug would be effective after 72 hours, but because the female egg can survive for about 72 hours, and the male sperm is more viable inside the woman for 24-72 hours, the optimum time to take the drug would be in the first 72 hours.

What is it?
The Morning After Pill is a combination of estrogen and progesterone, which is the same combination of hormones as the regular birth control pill (BCP). For the emergency contraceptive pill to work, a much higher dose of the hormones is needed than is in the regular BCP. It is possible, and perfectly fine (with a doctor's guidance) to take a certain number of regular BCPs to have the same effect of the ECP. Thankfully though, there are now the convenient emergency contraceptive kits so that women do not have to worry about taking the right number of their regular BCPs. Two doses of the morning after pill are taken to prevent pregnancy, each 12 hours apart. (http://ec.princeton.edu/info/ecp.html)

How does it work?

The morning after pill works to delay ovulation, preventing the egg from being released in women who have not yet ovulated. If ovulation and fertilization have already occurred, studies suggest that the drug can work to prevent implantation by changing the uterine lining, so the embryo cannot grow.
The morning after pill works basically the same as the regular birth control pill by preventing the LH surge, creating a deficient luteal phase, and disturbing the normal follicular development and maturation. The exact mechanism is not yet known, and the only way the studies have proved that the ECPs work is by preventing ovulation. (http://www.emergencybirthcontrol.org/content_howEBCworks.htm)

Effectiveness and Side effects
The morning after pill reduces the chance of a woman getting pregnant by about 75%; from an 8% chance with no pill, to a 3% chance with the pill. The pill works best within the first 24 hours, and the effectiveness decreases slightly thereafter.

The pill's convenience is overshadowed a bit by the uncomfortable side effects of the drug. Regular birth control pills can cause nausea, and at the high

amountof hormones contained in the morning after pill, about 50% or women experience nausea, and about a third experience vomiting. This can cause a woman not to want to take the second dose, which is important for the pill to be successful, and if the drug is vomited up, it is certainly less effective. Anti-nausea medication can help with the sickness, as can taking the pills with food and water.

There is also a newer emergency contraceptive pill (newer to the US, although it has been used in Europe for quite a while) that contains only progesterone, called Plan B, and this pill has a lower rate of nausea and vomiting (about 10% vomit). It is also possible, although not proven, that the Plan B is more effective in preventing pregnancy than the original pill. (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/Healthology/morning_after010719.html# )

Ethics of the Emergency Contraceptive Pill:
Many people agree that the ECP is just that: a form of emergency contraception, as it generally works before fertilization. Of course, there are people that are against all forms of artificial contraception, and therefore would be against the ECP.

The major arguments arise with the possibility that the pill could prevent implantation after ovulation and fertilization have already occurred. Many of the opponents of ECP will say that the "tiny baby" begins its life just at fertilization, even though, technically, the pregnancy has not yet begun, since the egg has not been implanted. Those opponents, who are generally opponents of abortion, believe that the ECP can cause an abortion, even though this is not the case. Abortion is the termination of pregnancy, so in fact the ECP does not cause abortions since they only work before the woman is actually pregnant. In fact, the drug will cause no harm to a pregnancy that is already in existence. Technicalities though, do not mean all that much to people who feel that ECP is morally wrong in that it prevents a human life from forming.


	The "Morning After Pill" Unfortunately, things do not always go as planned. If a condom breaks or a diaphragm slips, a good way to prevent pregnancy is to take the "Morning After Pill" after intercourse. A more proper name for the drug is the Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP), as it is actually effective up to 72 hours, not just the morning after. It is possible that the drug would be effective after 72 hours, but because the female egg can survive for about 72 hours, and the male sperm is more viable inside the woman for 24-72 hours, the optimum time to take the drug would be in the first 72 hours. Progesterone What is it? The Morning After Pill is a combination of estrogen and progesterone, which is the same combination of hormones as the regular birth control pill (BCP). For the emergency contraceptive pill to work, a much higher dose of the hormones is needed than is in the regular BCP. It is possible, and perfectly fine (with a doctor's guidance) to take a certain number of regular BCPs to have the same effect of the ECP. Thankfully though, there are now the convenient emergency contraceptive kits so that women do not have to worry about taking the right number of their regular BCPs. Two doses of the morning after pill are taken to prevent pregnancy, each 12 hours apart. (http://ec.princeton.edu/info/ecp.html) How does it work? The morning after pill works to delay ovulation, preventing the egg from being released in women who have not yet ovulated. If ovulation and fertilization have already occurred, studies suggest that the drug can work to prevent implantation by changing the uterine lining, so the embryo cannot grow. The morning after pill works basically the same as the regular birth control pill by preventing the LH surge, creating a deficient luteal phase, and disturbing the normal follicular development and maturation. The exact mechanism is not yet known, and the only way the studies have proved that the ECPs work is by preventing ovulation. (http://www.emergencybirthcontrol.org/content_howEBCworks.htm) Effectiveness and Side effects The morning after pill reduces the chance of a woman getting pregnant by about 75%; from an 8% chance with no pill, to a 3% chance with the pill. The pill works best within the first 24 hours, and the effectiveness decreases slightly thereafter. The pill's convenience is overshadowed a bit by the uncomfortable side effects of the drug. Regular birth control pills can cause nausea, and at the high amountof hormones contained in the morning after pill, about 50% or women experience nausea, and about a third experience vomiting. This can cause a woman not to want to take the second dose, which is important for the pill to be successful, and if the drug is vomited up, it is certainly less effective. Anti-nausea medication can help with the sickness, as can taking the pills with food and water. There is also a newer emergency contraceptive pill (newer to the US, although it has been used in Europe for quite a while) that contains only progesterone, called Plan B, and this pill has a lower rate of nausea and vomiting (about 10% vomit). It is also possible, although not proven, that the Plan B is more effective in preventing pregnancy than the original pill. (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/Healthology/morning_after010719.html# ) Ethics of the Emergency Contraceptive Pill: Many people agree that the ECP is just that: a form of emergency contraception, as it generally works before fertilization. Of course, there are people that are against all forms of artificial contraception, and therefore would be against the ECP. The major arguments arise with the possibility that the pill could prevent implantation after ovulation and fertilization have already occurred. Many of the opponents of ECP will say that the "tiny baby" begins its life just at fertilization, even though, technically, the pregnancy has not yet begun, since the egg has not been implanted. Those opponents, who are generally opponents of abortion, believe that the ECP can cause an abortion, even though this is not the case. Abortion is the termination of pregnancy, so in fact the ECP does not cause abortions since they only work before the woman is actually pregnant. In fact, the drug will cause no harm to a pregnancy that is already in existence. Technicalities though, do not mean all that much to people who feel that ECP is morally wrong in that it prevents a human life from forming. What if you want to end a pregnancy early?