"I obviously took emergency contraception, why am I still pregnant?"
Is this accident a surprise or a shock?
In case of pregnancy, does it have an impact on the health of the fetus?
Emergency contraceptives that can be purchased in daily life are mostly estrogen-progestin combination preparations (such as compound levonorgestrel tablets) and monogestogen preparations (such as levonorgestrel tablets), and the contraceptive mechanism is to delay or inhibit ovulation, inhibit fertilization or prevent fertilized eggs from implantation and play a contraceptive role, generally recommended to be taken within 72 hours after the fact, the later the failure rate is higher.
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In general, withdrawal bleeding occurs four or five days after taking the emergency contraceptive pill, that is, another menstrual period, which can be regarded as contraceptive success.
But withdrawal bleeding is not the gold standard for judging contraceptive success, but only a general judgment.
It is best to go to the hospital for blood test HCG after one week of taking the drug, so as to confirm the success of contraception 100%.
Emergency contraception is only a means of salvation, and under the premise of correct use, the success rate is only about 85%, which is much lower than other contraceptive methods. In addition, whether to take drugs such as antibiotics in a timely manner, whether to use antibiotics at the same time, and individual absorption differences may be the reasons for contraceptive failure.
As we all know, an important sign of pregnancy is menopause. If the menstrual cycle is delayed by more than a week after taking emergency contraception, there is reason to suspect that contraception may have failed.
However, a new question has come, can this unexpected life still be wanted?
There is currently insufficient evidence that fetal dysplasia rates increase after emergency contraception failure [1]. Like other drugs, the fertilized egg responds to the drug as "all" or "none", i.e. either a miscarriage is disturbed or develops safely and healthily. As long as you are willing to accept Him, He can come into this world.
The sex hormone content in emergency contraceptives is much higher than other contraceptives, so many people are also worried that eating too much will affect fertility? Will there be other health problems? For example, you can only eat 2 or 3 times a year?
In fact, there is no authoritative organization that prescribes how many contraceptives can be taken, but the World Health Organization believes that there is no clear evidence that repeated use of emergency contraceptives poses any health risks, and the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists believes that it can be taken multiple times even during the same menstrual cycle [2].
Compared with the physical injuries caused by miscarriage after an unexpected pregnancy, the impact of taking the contraceptive pill a few times is indeed very small.
Although emergency contraceptives do not cause serious health problems, they can also cause transient side effects such as malignancy, vomiting, breast swelling, menstrual disorders, headaches, etc. [3], and multiple consecutive uses can aggravate the discomfort; moreover, from the perspective of the effectiveness of emergency contraceptives, there is no obvious advantage. Therefore, emergency contraceptives can only be used in emergency situations and cannot be used as routine contraception.
All in all, any woman who has had unprotected or inadequately protected sex is necessary to take emergency contraception immediately if she is not ready for her baby. Of course, it is best to do a good job of contraception, and don't eat it without eating!
Review expert Wang Wei | Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University
bibliography
Lei Zhenwu. The safety of contraceptives[J].International Journal of Reproductive Health/Family Planning,2010,29(06):387.
[2] ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 152: Emergency contraception. [J] . Obstet Gynecol, 2015, 126.
Cheng Linan. Safety of emergency contraceptives[J].Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology,2014,30(07):488-490.
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