Worried about having an unplanned pregnancy after an episode of unprotected sex? Then you must have considered popping in the common over the counter emergency contraceptive pills widely available to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. These pills aid in negating the chances of getting pregnant after an instance of unprotected sex if consumed within 12 to 72 hours after intercourse. If a woman does not wish to get pregnant after an unprotected act of penetration, emergency contraceptive pills, also known as “morning after pills” are the answer to her worries. However, these pills should only be used during emergencies, and not as a regular contraceptive measure.
What Is Unwanted 72 Pill?
Unwanted 72, (generic name Levonorgestrel), is one of the leading emergency contraceptive pills manufactured by Mankind Pharmaceuticals intended to be used to prevent an unplanned pregnancy in the event of unprotected sex, forced intercourse, rape or failure of contraceptive measures being used. It is an oral pill and contains 1.5 mg of Levonorgestrel that helps in preventing an unwanted pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after the act of penetration.
How Does Unwanted 72 Work?
The active ingredient of Unwanted 72 is a man-made progestin hormone Levonorgestrel. When 1.5 gm of Levonorgestrel gets into the bloodstream, it
- Blocks the formation of hormones LH and FSH. These hormones are responsible for the development and release of eggs from the ovaries.
- Even if the ovary has already released the egg, Levonorgestrel will prevent the sperm from fertilizing the egg.
- Even if fertilization has already happened, unwanted 72 will prevent the fertilized egg from implanting into the uterine wall.
It is a single dose formulation where just one dose is used as an emergency contraception.
How To Use Unwanted 72?
Unwanted 72 should be taken between 12-72 hours after an act of unprotected penetration. The earlier it is consumed, the better the chances of preventing a pregnancy. Because it takes 72 hours for a pregnancy to take place after an egg gets fertilized in the womb, Unwanted 72 can prevent the same from happening when taken in the time frame of 12-72 hours. You can ingest the pill orally with a glass of water, preferably with some food before.
Can I Use Unwanted 72 As A Regular Contraceptive?
Since Unwanted 72 is a hormonal pill, it is strongly suggested not to use it as a method of regular contraception as it can play havoc on the natural flow and ebb of hormones, affecting more than just your menstrual cycle. Emergency contraceptives should be used only in case of emergencies – not more than once in 6 months. Any form of emergency contraceptive should not be used as an excuse to have unprotected sex, and should be reserved only for unplanned, isolated coital acts.
How Much Does An Unwanted 72 Cost?
Being an over the counter product, it is widely available at all leading pharmaceutical stores, local chemists, some departmental stores and in the online space as well. Priced at an affordable Rs.80 for a pack of 1 pill, it is quite a popular emergency contraceptive pill used by women to avert a pregnancy across the country.
What Is The Dosage Of Unwanted 72?
As you can read in the name, the number ’72’ is suggestive of the fact that the is effective in averting pregnancy only if taken within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. A single 1.5 gm tablet of Unwanted 72 should be taken with a glass of water, preferably after eating something, within 12 to 72 hours of unprotected coitus and not later than that.
Can I take Unwanted 72 if I am pregnant?
The answer is No. This drug is classified by FDA as pregnancy category ‘X’, which means higher chances of fetal abnormalities if administered during pregnancy.
Should I Consult A Gynecologist Before Taking Unwanted 72?
Ideally, if you are already pregnant, diabetic, hypertensive, epileptic or are taking any other medicine on regular basis, you may check with your doctor for any drug interactions that may result from consuming Unwanted 72 pill. Some medications like anti-convulsants, antibiotics and anti-tuberculosis and certain other herbal preparations can render the actions of Unwanted 72 ineffective. In such cases, you may consult your doctor before taking the pill. Else, it is largely presumed safe to use and is sold to adult men and women without a medical prescription.
Can I take it if I am breastfeeding?
Unwanted 72 Tablets are not safe for breastfeeding mothers.
Is Unwanted 72 safe for all women?
You should not use Unwanted 72 without consulting a doctor if you belong to any of the following categories.
• If you have a history of tubal pregnancy
• If you doubt pregnancy
• If you are diabetic
• If you have a history of stroke
• If you are experiencing undiagnosed vaginal bleeding
• If you are taking any other medication (especially for epilepsy, TB or HIV). Unwanted 72 can interact with several medicines, drugs, and herbal supplements.
• If you are having a severe arterial disease
• If you are suffering from, or has a history of breast cancer
• If you have a history of blood clotting disorder.
What Are The Benefits Of Unwanted 72?
Emergency contraceptives are gaining popularity and are also coming out as a ‘need of the hour product’.
• Helps to prevent undesired pregnancy: Unwanted 72 can be used to prevent an unwanted pregnancy resulting due to an ineffective contraceptive measure, failure of a contraceptive method being used, forced sex, rape, or other events of coital acts.
• It’s quite handy: It is highly effective and is convenient to use
• Negligible side effects: Unwanted 72 tablets are reported to have relatively minimal side effects if properly used.
• Easily accessible: It is an over the counter medicine easily available in drug stores.
• Better than combination pills in so many aspects: It is more beneficial than combination pills as the Unwanted seventy-two is a single use drug. Combination pills, on the other hand, are needed to be taken in higher and more doses.
• Can be used as a long-term contraceptive: Unwanted 72 tablets are also used in the form of a vaginal insert or slow release oral medicines for the long-term avoidance of pregnancies (up to 3 years).
Does Unwanted 72 Cause Delay In Periods?
A very common side effect of taking Unwanted 72 is significant alteration in periods – they can either be early or be delayed. Most women will experience withdrawal bleeding at the scheduled or expected dates, while some may get menses within 5 days. If you get periods earlier then expected, you can be assured that pregnancy has not taken place, but in case of delay in periods, it is best to take a pregnancy test one week over the expected date. This is largely a rare occurrence. However, if bleeding does not happen within 7 days of expected date or 3 weeks after taking Unwanted 72 merits a medical consultation to rule out chances of pregnancy.
How Effective Is Unwanted 72?
No method of contraception or emergency contraception is 100% effective.The success rates of Unwanted 72 depend on how fast you administered the tablet. As already explained, you have to take it within 12 to 72-hour time frame. Delay in the consumption brings down its success rate.
Read on to understand the relation between the time of consumption of the emergency contraceptive and the success rate
- The success rate is around 95% if taken within 24 hours
- It will drop to 85% if taken between 24 to 48 hours
- The success rate will reduce to 58% if taken after 48 but before 72 hours
- The pill will not work if you take it after the 72 hour benchmark.
Are There Any Side Effects Of Unwanted 72?
Effective marketing strategies have made Unwanted 72 and I-pill common names and there is no check on the purchases. Even teenagers have started to use them after an episode of a passionate night, giving rise to teenage pregnancies. Though there is no denying the fact that there are certain situations where oral contraceptive pills can be used to prevent an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, long term regular use of emergency contraceptive pills can wreck havoc on a woman’s reproductive cycle. Some pointers to note are:
- Unwanted 72 prevents a pregnancy by stopping the release of hormones LH and FSH that are responsible for making a pregnancy happen. Hence, it plays around with your hormones affecting them if used long term
- Unwanted 72 cannot abort the pregnancy if it has already taken place – it can only stop a pregnancy from happening.
- If you have a baby and are breastfeeding , you should consult your doctor before consuming unwanted 72
- Some common side effects of Unwanted 72 are fatigue, abdominal pain, breast tenderness, nausea and vomiting . Some women also get headaches – though all these discomforts should go away in a day or two
- Gastrointestinal issues may also be observed
- Because Unwanted 72 works by restricting the natural course of hormones, your periods can either be early or get late. Taking Unwanted 72 repeatedly can harm the course of your menstrual cycle
- Vaginal discharge is also observed by some women who take emergency contraceptive pills. Regular use may make spotting a constant issue
- Emergency contraceptive pills that are hormonal can lead to hormonal imbalance in the body. This can further lead to a series of headaches, mood swings, hair loss, unexplained weight gain, skin allergies and acne
- In some cases, use of emergency contraceptive pills has been linked to ectopic pregnancies – that is pregnancy happening outside the uterus
What Precautions Should Be Taken After Taking Unwanted 72?
• Better to consult a doctor before consuming: Because Unwanted 72 contains 1.5 g Levonorgestrel, women who are allergic to it should consult the doctor before consuming it.
• The risk unprotected sex will be still there: You should also know that it does not protect you from HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases.
• It should not be considered as a regular contraceptive measure: Unwanted 72 should only be used after an isolated episode of unsafe sex and should not be consumed as a regular contraceptive measure.
• There should be significant gap between two doses: In fact, you should keep away from taking unwanted 72 more than twice in a 6 months’ time frame.
Can I Still Get Pregnant After Taking An Unwanted 72?
Yes, though rare, there are still chances that you can get pregnant even after taking Unwanted 72. It could be that you have taken the pill too late and after fertilization, in which case Unwanted 72 cannot prevent a pregnancy. If the pill is taken closer to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse, the chances of it being ineffective rise. If you periods get delayed or you experience the common pregnancy symptoms, it is best to talk to your doctor and decide on the further course of action.
Source: https://www.beingtheparent.com/unwanted-72-uses-side-effects-precautions/
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