Emergency contraceptives: pills and other best remedies for women

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Emergency contraception (“emergency” or “fire”, English “emergency contraception”) are drugs and methods that allow a woman to avoid pregnancy within 48 - 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse.

Girls may urgently need such contraceptive “pills after intercourse” or other means in different situations: after interrupted intercourse, in cases where the condom breaks, or you forget to take birth control pills, as well as after rape, sloppy petting or careless anal sex. Next, we will consider two conceptual questions that will help to better and more fully reveal the topic of the article, namely:

1) is it possible to get pregnant (after or during menstruation, a virgin from lubrication or without sex or penetration at all) and 2) how can a girl avoid becoming pregnant when this is not part of her plans; what means and methods of emergency contraception will help her in the next two to three days.

So, everything is in order.

Is it possible to get pregnant... and how to avoid it?

✅ Is it possible to get pregnant during your period?

According to surveys, about 40% of couples practice intimate relations (vaginal sex with ejaculation inside) more or less regularly on menstrual periods. Do you think you can’t get pregnant if you have sex during your period and “finish” the act in the vagina? This is a wrong opinion, and this misconception occurs not only among most men, but also among many women. To understand whether you can get pregnant on the last day of your period or the first time bleeding starts, you need to have an understanding of the menstrual cycle. It is divided into several phases, characterized by the production of certain hormones. Conception of a child occurs at the moment of ovulation or within a few days after it. If the egg is not fertilized in a given cycle, then the release of some hormones is replaced by others and another menstruation occurs. It would be logical to assume that it is impossible to get pregnant during menstruation, if not for one important nuance. Not every girl can know for sure when she will ovulate.

Most girls and women of middle reproductive age (18 - 40 years) have a relatively regular monthly cycle, but its duration may vary under the influence of internal and external factors. A standard cycle lasts an average of 28 days and ovulation (egg release) occurs on days 13-15. This is in theory. In practice, under the influence of stress, physical overload, climate change, illness, etc. ovulation may shift in time. And, as you know, male reproductive cells are able to survive in the female body for quite a long time. The favorable microflora of the vagina and the consistency of the discharge allow sperm to “stay alive” and wait in the wings for up to a week. Consequently, sexual intercourse occurred on the 5th day of menstruation and ovulation occurred in the girl on the 7th day, i.e. 48-72 hours after unprotected intercourse give a huge chance of unplanned conception.

Other partners prefer to change vaginal sex to anal or oral sex on THESE days, which also makes it impossible to get pregnant during menstruation and eliminates the need to take a birth control pill for emergency contraception.

✅ Is it possible to get pregnant from lubricant?

What is the likelihood and whether it is possible to get pregnant from male lubricant - these questions concern both couples who have stable sexual relationships with vaginal penetration, and girls who wish not to lose their virginity and allow imitation of sexual intercourse by movements of the partner’s penis in the area of ​​the vaginal vestibule.

Theoretically, when released, male lubricant in its pure form does not contain sperm, since it is produced by a different gland. However, if sexual intercourse took place some time ago, and sperm can live in the urethra for up to 7 days and, therefore, it will be enough for them to mix with lubricant during any subsequent unprotected sexual intercourse for the woman to become pregnant. That is, if in this case the sperm meets an egg on its way, then the probability of getting pregnant from male lubricant is enormous.

What is the probability of getting pregnant from lubricant, depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle? The greatest chance of pregnancy from lubricant discharge occurs when a woman ovulates and in the coming days after it. You can avoid conception if you remember in the next 72 hours, or better yet 24 or 48, that emergency contraception is available. Modern gynecology offers several of the best contraceptives for “firefighting” purposes, which will be discussed below.

✅ Is it possible to get pregnant without protection?

Agree, this is a rather strange question. The likelihood of fertilization occurring at the end of sexual intercourse in the female vagina is maximum if neither partner uses contraception (condoms, hormonal contraceptives, IUDs, etc.). Of course, as elsewhere, in this case there are several conditions that significantly affect the possibility and success of pregnancy, such as:

1. Suitable phase of the menstrual cycle;
2. The condition of a woman's reproductive tract;
3. No gynecological problems;
4. Characteristics of male ejaculate, its usefulness;
5. General health of M and F;
6. The presence of bad habits and pathological addictions.

Thus, in some cases it is possible to become pregnant if you do not take protection, with a high degree of probability, but in others, even with the maximum possible combination of circumstances favorable to successful conception, it is not possible to have a child. The specialists of our clinic in Moscow will help you understand the reasons for the latter and provide effective treatment for infertility in women.

✅ Can a virgin get pregnant?

To find out whether it is possible to conceive a child and be pregnant while being a virgin, let’s make some clarifications. This may come as a surprise to some young people or girls, but a pregnant virgin is a reality, albeit not as common, but still. How do virgins get an appointment with gynecologists to register or have an abortion? Let's try to solve this equation with several unknowns...

✔ If the task has the following input data:

a) the girl has a intact, intact hymen; b) the girl is an actual virgin, i.e. does not have any intimate relationships (direct or indirect contact with the genitals of a representative of the opposite sex), then in this case we can say with confidence that such a virgin cannot be pregnant!

✔ If you make some changes to the original conditions of the problem and formulate them as follows:

a) the girl has a intact, intact hymen; b) the girl is a formal virgin, i.e. having a whole hymen, he practices various forms of sexual relations without penetration of the penis into the vagina (anal intercourse, surrogate imitation sex with ejaculation on the labia or in the vestibule of the vagina, various forms of mutual self-satisfaction, etc.). Such a virgin can become pregnant from both sperm and lubricant, even without a man’s penetration inside.

Now that we have learned about the main ways how you can get pregnant with a virgin, right away and the first time, we will behave more carefully, not rely on a lucky chance, and take care of choosing a method of contraception. Please consult our gynecologists. Competent and timely selection of a contraceptive will help you preserve your innocence and have the desired intimate relationship without the fear of ending up in an “interesting” position after it!

✅ Is it possible to get pregnant the first time?

How to avoid getting pregnant during sex for the first time, what can you do? Firstly, under no circumstances should you be fooled by the assurances of young people that a virgin does not become pregnant during her first sexual intercourse! Allegedly, the hymen prevents sperm from penetrating the uterus, so you can “tear” it without fear of undesirable consequences. A very popular scam among a certain category of guys. Usually these fables are told by people who want to persuade a partner to have sex without obligation, and they are to blame for many tragic situations among young girls.

The practical option that a gynecologist and common sense would recommend is using a condom. It almost completely eliminates the possibility of conception, and also protects the girl from unwanted diseases. Moreover, it will be very reasonable if they are in your purse directly, and not always with the guy. If there were no means of contraception, and the first sexual intercourse occurred, you can get pregnant very easily, especially on the days of ovulation.

Gynecologists are well aware that some virgins do not “get pregnant” due to “female” health problems, which are discovered only years later. There is also an element of “luck” and a psychological factor. All this led to the creation of a widespread myth that a virgin can have unprotected sex for the first time.

It is important to note that pregnancy does not only occur when the girl is already an adult. Even when you don't have your period, this can happen. In medical practice, it happens when 11-12 year old girls get pregnant.

How to avoid pregnancy for a girl who just lost her virginity? Do not panic, but make an appointment with a gynecologist for a consultation and discuss the need to take a contraceptive “pill after intercourse.” The main thing is to do it on time - emergency contraception is safe and effective no later than 48-72 hours after sex. It is a good idea to get tested for infections and carry out minimal prevention of inflammatory processes and STDs.

✅ Can masturbation get you pregnant?

It should be understood that for fertilization, the development of pregnancy and the birth of a child, certain requirements must be met. It is impossible without an egg and sperm, so getting pregnant during masturbation (on your own, without the participation of a man) will not work. If the process involves the participation of a man, then it is possible to become pregnant from masturbation with a finger if sperm gets on it. In the absence of even minimal contact of any kind with male semen, a girl will become pregnant, incl. virgins cannot.

Sources

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Best emergency contraception methods

Among the folk recipes on how to avoid getting pregnant at home, one can highlight vaginal douching. The purpose of the washing procedure is to remove all missing male biomaterial. Of course, complete removal of ejaculate cannot be achieved, but the likelihood of conception is reduced. To enhance the effect, you need to prepare an acidic composition by adding table vinegar or lemon juice to the water - sperm die faster in an acidic environment. Douching should be done immediately after unprotected sex.

In gynecology, you have at your disposal two means of emergency contraception, approved by the World Health Organization and which will help you not get pregnant if the situation is unambiguous:

1. Intrauterine device (IUD). It effectively prevents pregnancy if inserted into the uterus no later than 5 to 7 days after unprotected intercourse.
2. Emergency contraceptive pills "72 hours". According to experts, tablets containing mifepristone as an active substance are effective and safe. When using them, the risk of side effects is minimal. Typically, emergency contraceptive medications are designed to be taken no later than 72 hours (3 days) and up to 120 hours (5 days) after intimate communication that is questionable regarding the possibility of pregnancy. The effectiveness of such emergency contraceptives is more than 95% when taken on the first day after sex.

Emergency contraception methods have the following clinically proven effectiveness depending on the duration of their use. Thus, post-coital contraceptive pills taken by a woman after unprotected intercourse during: - the first day are effective - up to 99%, - between 24 and 48 hours - 95%, - between 48 and 72 hours - up to 90%.

How does emergency contraception affect your periods? Often girls think that emergency contraceptive pills based on mifepristone (Zhenale or Gynepristone) should provoke acyclic bleeding, i.e. failure of the menstrual cycle, but this is a wrong opinion. Your period usually comes on time. Less often - a few days earlier or later. If the wait for menstruation lasts more than 5 - 7 days, it is likely that birth control pills did not work after intercourse - consult a doctor to rule out or confirm pregnancy.

72 hour tablets - which are better? Two main “firefighting” drugs have minimal side reactions and a small number of contraindications, one of them is the drug “Zhenale”. Postinor, widely known to many women, is a hormonal drug for emergency contraception from the “last century”. The earlier the pill was taken, the more pronounced the contraceptive effect. Postinor contains a very high dose of the hormone levonorgestrel, which has a very noticeable impact on the ovaries. Therefore, after using the drug, the menstrual cycle may be disrupted. This drug should not be used more than 2 times a year and should not be considered as one of the possible contraceptives! This especially applies to young women under 18 years of age, whose hormonal balance has not yet been established.

Tablets “72 hours after intercourse”

Birth control pills after unprotected intercourse can be used as much as necessary, even once a month, but taking them several times during one menstrual cycle is still undesirable. According to doctors, if necessary, emergency contraception is better than abortion. Pregnancy pills taken within 72 hours after intercourse are always preferable to the prospect of an unplanned conception and its subsequent interruption. The drug Zhenale, containing mifepristone, is effective and safe. It has a minimal risk of adverse reactions and does not affect metabolic processes or the menstrual cycle.

Tablets after sexual intercourse can be used by women who have irregular sex life. When sex happens once a month or 1-3 times every six months, many do not see the point of taking hormonal contraceptives every day or putting in an IUD. In this case, “pregnancy pills” can be a good alternative.

Zhenale, Ginepriston or Agest are a modern, effective hormonal postcoital drug. Compared to Postinor, it is almost harmless. Used within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse.