Yuzpe Only Works With Certain Brands of the Pill
Using birth control pills this way may cause side effects, including nausea and vomiting. If you throw up within two hours after taking a pill, you should repeat the dose, Diemert says. Other side effects may include breast tenderness, fatigue, irregular bleeding, abdominal pain, headache, and dizziness. “These side effects usually taper off one or two days after taking the pills,” she says.
While research in this area is limited, it is possible that the Yuzpe method may not be as effective in people who are overweight or have obesity, Dr. Bosworth says. Preliminary research on other types of hormonal emergency contraception has found that some forms are less effective in people with a BMI over 30, and Planned Parenthood notes that certain hormonal options see efficacy wane in people over 165 pounds. It’s worth discussing your options, such as having an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted instead of using hormonal emergency contraception, with a doctor or pharmacist if you’re in this category. Emergency contraception will not work if a person is already pregnant, and it won’t harm an existing pregnancy.
If your period arrives within your typical menstrual cycle as expected, you will know you are not pregnant. Be aware that menstrual changes are a side effect of emergency contraception, so later or earlier periods or irregular bleeding are possible.
If you want to keep using your birth control as ongoing contraception, make sure you continue to use it correctly. Once you have taken extra pills as emergency contraception, talk to your healthcare provider about the following, per Bosworth:
- Acquire enough of your needed birth control pills for ongoing contraception.
- Determine if you need testing for a sexually transmitted infection.
- Talk about whether your current contraception choice is the right one for you. Is it easy to use regularly?
- Ensure you are safe if you were involved in nonconsensual sex.
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