How often is it safe to use emergency contraceptive pills? (Query)

I am a 22-year-old woman and I recently had unprotected sex with my boyfriend. Shortly after that, I took the morning after pill and much to my relief, I got my period the next month. Now, my boyfriend wants to have unprotected sex again and he is insisting saying that I can use the morning after pill again. How frequently can I take emergency contraceptive pills?

This query was answered by Dr Uma Vaidyanathan, Consultant Gynaecologist and Unit Head at Max Hospital, New Delhi. 

The morning after pill is easily available in every single medical shop in India and it is sold without any prescription. If it is taken within the first 72 hours after having unprotected sex, it can help in preventing an unwanted pregnancy. However, gynaecologists warn that it is 95% effective only if it is taken within 24 hours after having unprotected sex.

The longer you wait, the less effective it becomes and if you take the emergency contraceptive pill after 72 hours, it won’t be effective at all. Here’s all that you need to know about the emergency contraceptive pill. Dr Vaidyanathan says that what most couples fail to understand is that the morning after pill should only be used during emergencies, for example, when the condom slips or breaks during sexual intercourse. However, the mistake that many women make is using emergency contraceptive pills as a substitute for safer contraceptive methods. These are the methods of contraception you should know about.

So how often can a woman use an emergency contraceptive pill? The answer is, not more than one time during a menstrual cycle. ‘It should be taken only once in a menstrual cycle and the safest time is only the mid-cycle period. If you take it more than once during this time frame, it can lead to irregular periods which will in turn increase the chances of an unwanted pregnancy during your next menstrual cycle if you continue relying on the morning after pill,’ explains Dr Vaidyanathan.

Other than irregular bleeding and spotting in between your periods, these are the side-effects of using emergency contraceptive pills.

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