Many women sometimes forget to take their morning after pill and at other times they take more than once in a week. Have you ever take your morning after pills twice in one week? Or do you ever screaming about "I took emergency contraceptives twice in a month"? Do you worry about this? Read on to know more on the dosage, effectiveness, side effect and so on about morning after pills.

Can I Take Morning After Pill Twice in One Week?

Taking a morning after pill twice in one week is possible, but you might be exposing yourself to risks. The morning after pill (commonly referred to as Plan B) is an over the counter form of emergency contraceptive. Despite the fact that there is no maximum number of times that you can take the morning after pill in a week or cycle, it is not advisable to take it on a regular basis. This is because it is not as efficient as the other forms of hormonal contraceptives. It is intended to be a backup and not a regular form of contraception. Though the morning after pill is considered safe, the side effects can crop up if used often.

If you have been taking the morning after pill twice in one week or taking morning after pill twice in one month, it is important to contact your doctor to make sure that you have not conceived or you are facing any other risks.

How Does the Morning After Pill Work?

Various morning after pills are formulated to inhibit fertilization by hindering sperm movement and stopping ovulation. They are also designed to prevent a fertilized ovum from attaching itself to the womb by altering the uterine lining.

Next Choice and Plan B One-Step morning after pills are progestin only, containing levonorgestrel. This is a similar form of synthetic progesterone hormone has been used in contraceptive pills for the past 35 years. The two morning after pills morning after pills are taken as soon as possible to give the host a serious hormonal release to avoid getting pregnant.

A trial conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that levonorgestrel prevented:

●     95% of expected pregnancies when taken within 24 hours of sex

●     85% if taken within 25–48 hours

●     58% if taken within 49–72 hours

However, current studies have suggested that the prevention rate is decreasing but it is still substantial.

The active ingredient in Ella, another example of a morning after pill, is UPA (ulipristal acetate). This substance gets in the way of progesterone's functionality which then leads to delayed ovulation or stops the whole ovulation process. However, ulipristal can only be acquired with a prescription and it is deemed to be more effective than the progestin only morning after pills. It is not advisable to take ulipristal more than once in one cycle as the side effects are yet to be established.

What Are the Side Effect of Morning After Pill?

Morning after pills have not exhibited any serious side effect. However, there are those that are commonly reported including:

• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Headache
• Irregular menstrual bleeding (heavy bleeding or spotting ) prior to the next period
• Nausea
• Fatigue

The less common side effects include:

• Tenderness of the breast
• Dizziness
• Vomiting (it is important to report this as you may need another dosage)

It is important to take note that morning after pills will not prevent STIs. Only physical protection like condoms can do that. In addition, they are quite expensive.

Other FAQs About Taking Morning after Pills

There are 4 other questions related to morning after pills that you may want to know:

Does Morning After Pill Affect Your Fertility?

Like all other contraception methods, the morning after pill cannot hinder you from getting a child in future.

Does Morning After Pill Cause Abortion?

The morning after pill cannot cause abortion. Once an egg is fertilized and implantation has occurred, the pregnancy will carry on and it will not be affected by the morning after pill.

Will Morning After Pill Harm Your Unborn Baby?

Though there no reported cases of women taking morning after pills after they are pregnant, there should be minimal or no effects to an unborn child according to scientists. However, the effects of Ella on an unborn child are unknown.

Other Ways of Birth Control

• Other Hormonal Methods: These are viable and reliable methods of contraception methods. They involve a combination of hormones (estrogen and progestin) mostly administered as daily pill, injections, implants or patches.
• IUD: Intrauterine device or IUD is a device, put inside a woman’s uterus. It can either hormonal or non-hormonal and it can be used for as long as 10 years depending on the type. The modern day IUDs are small and very effective.
• Barrier Methods: These work by ensuring the sperm does not enter the uterus. They include male and female condoms, cervical caps, diaphragm, cervical, shield, sponge gel and spermicidal foam.
• Fertility Awareness: This method involves the woman having an accurate chart showing when she is most fertile (during ovulation) in order to avoid sex on this days or use a barrier method.
• Sterilization: This is a very effective method of contraception. It is also referred to as permanent contraception. It involves blocking a woman’s tubes (tubal ligation) or the man’s vas deferens (vasectomy).