Dangers and Health Hazards Associated With Morning-After Pills
Morning after pills are emergency contraceptive pills that have to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse.
These pills work by either inhibiting ovulation or inhibiting fertilization of the egg or preventing the attachment of the fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus.
These pills are about 40 times as strong as regular contraceptive pills and thus, are more likely to cause severe side effects.
Contraceptive pills can cause serious side effects such as blood clots in heart, intestines and lungs.
They are not advisable for women who have diabetes, cytotec santa cruz liver problems, heart disease, and deep vein thrombosis and breast cancer.
The risk further increases with women having smoking habit or history of migraine and cardiovascular diseases.
Other possible side effects include nausea and vomiting, headaches, fluid retention, dizziness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, breast tenderness, irregular bleeding and chest pain.
The common side effects of morning after pills are the same as those of ectopic pregnancy. In such a pregnancy, the embryo gets stuck in the fallopian tubes rather than the womb. Women, who are not under medical supervision, may confuse the abdominal pain and nausea of ectopic pregnancy with the side effects. Moreover, studies have shown that the use of some emergency contraceptive pills increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
Use of oral morning after pills is associated with significant weight gain, gall bladder disease, respiratory disorders, high blood pressure, liver tumor, cyst enlargement, visual disturbances, increased risk of ectopic pregnancy and death.
Other than these, adverse or allergic reactions of the body to the pill include skin irritation, an outbreak of rash, and difficulty in breathing and swallowing.
The potential for regular use emergency contraceptive pills also raises concerns about the safety. Emergency contraceptive pills are claimed to be safe as per studies based on their occasional use. The large amounts of hormone per dose aggravate the risk significantly.
Women older than 35 years of age, who either smoke or have a history of heart disease, are not advised to take emergency contraceptive pills.
Over the counter availability of the morning after pills raises serious questions about its misuse by youth:
1. The rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among youth may increase.
2. An increase in the rate of sexual violence may be seen.
3. It will expose young girls to serious health risks.