In the last few decades, there has been a considerable increase in concern about contraceptive use for the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and reduction of STD risk. This concern has also led to an increase in questions and doubts about the use of morning after pills and general contraception.
Plan B, known also as the morning after pill, is one of these medications that has generated increased doubt. What are Plan B side effects? When should you take the morning after pill? And most importantly, how often can you take Plan B? These are just some of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to morning after pills. For more, keep reading here at OneHOWTO to find out the answer to the question, how many time can you take the morning after pill?
How does the morning after pill work?
Before answering the question about how often you can take the morning after pill, you need to know how to take it correctly. Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that SHOULD NOT be used regularly. The morning after pill does not serve to protect you from unwanted pregnancies over an extended period of time.
In addition, Plan B is only useful in preventing an unwanted pregnancy from occuring, but DOES NOT reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Use condoms to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.
Morning after pill types
There are two types of emergency pills. The most common is composed of levonorgestrel and does not require a medical prescription. The other contains ulipristal acetate and requires a prescription from a healthcare professional.
When to take morning after pill
You must take the morning after pill according to the indicated period on the package. In the case of levonorgestrel, the pill must be taken before 72 hours after sexual intercourse. Morning after pills containing acetate ulipristal have a longer waiting period of 120 hours. The later the pill is taken after sex, the less effective it is.
How effective is the morning after pill?
The effectiveness of the pill depends on when the pill is taken. If taken 72 hours after sex, effectiveness is roughly 89%. If taken within 24 hours, effectiveness is 95%[1].
However, it is important to remember that regular contraception is a lot more effective than Plan B. For more, you may also be interested in our article: Which IUD is best for me? - Hormonal or Copper Implant.
How many times can you take the morning after pill in your lifetime?
The aim of the morning-after pill is to prevent fecundation, that is, the sperm reaching and fertilizing the egg.
It is important to know Plan B is a contraceptive method and not abortive. The morning after pill prevents the ovum from being fertilized, delaying ovulation or thereby preventing it. This is why you may experience spotting or bleeding after taking the morning after pill. For more about bleeding after morning after pill, we recommend reading our article where we discuss everything you need to know about bleeding after Plan B.
The morning after pill is an emergency measure. It cannot be used to avoid unwanted pregnancies, that is, as a contraceptive method, since it loses effect over time. We recommend only taking the morning after pill once a year when necessary. Medical professionals prohibit its prohibit its use more than 3 times a year.
How many times can you take the morning after pill in a month?
You should NEVER take the morning after pill more than once during your same menstrual cycle.
What happens if you take Plan B twice in one month? Once you’ve taken the morning after pill, you should wait for your next menstrual cycle before taking it again. In other words, you should leave at least 1 month between two pills.
Remember that the more you take the morning after pill, the less effective is it. In addition, taking the morning after pill can affect your menstrual cycle.
Emergency contraception: how many times can you take it?
If you have had to resort to taking the morning after pill, we recommend not taking it for a while. You could consider opting for regular contraceptive methods. A specialist will be able to recommend the best contraceptive method for you, so that you can avoid having to resort to emergency contraception methods.
How many times can you take the morning after pill before becoming infertile?
So, does the morning after pill affect fertility? No, it is very rare that the morning after pill will affects fertility. They can, however, affect your period. For more, you may be interested in reading our article where we discuss: why is my period late?
Morning after pill: side effects
If you need to take the morning after pill, it is incredibly important that you are aware of how it works and its side effects. Some side effects of Plan B include:
- Headaches.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Bleeding after morning after pill.
- Weight gain.
- Water retention.
- Changes in menstruation.
For more about Plan B, we recommend reading our article where we discuss everything you need to know about morning after pill side effects.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to How Many Times Can You Take The Morning After Pill?, we recommend you visit our Family health category.
1 https://www.ajog.org/article/0002-9378(94)90396-4/abstract