Emergency contraception is called just that for a reason; it’s meant to be used in emergency situations. It’s intended to be used as a backup birth control method in case your standard method of birth control fails. Sometimes things happen beyond our control that lead us to wonder just how often is too often to be taking emergency contraception. Is it safe to take once a month, three times a month, or even on a regular basis to protect against pregnancy?
Makers of the original ‘morning-after pill’, Plan-B, warn that emergency contraception should never replace your long-term birth control method. It is stressed that this type of drug should only be used in an emergency situation, and not on a regular basis.
So how does emergency contraception work?
Emergency contraception pills are basically a higher dose of regular progestin-only birth control pills. This leads some people to believe no harm could lie in using them regularly. However, there’s no data exploring the safety of long-term use of emergency contraception and exposing yourself to higher levels of hormones than those found in regular birth control pills could be risky.
How effective is it compared to other forms of birth control?
The sooner emergency contraception is taken, the more effective it will be. If taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex, it is about 95% effective. Once you drop into the 48-72 hour window, the efficacy rates fall to about 61%. The standard birth control pill, or something like an IUD is about 98-99% effective in preventing pregnancy. When it comes to the numbers, the writings on the wall.
While there appears to be no real danger in using emergency contraception regularly, it is certainly not recommended as there are far too many unknowns. Factors like side effects and cost are also reason to steer clear of making it a habit.
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