There are many questions on the webboard related to sexual intercourse and contraception, which others might also want to know about. Uncle Doctor has brought them to answer in parts. Let’s take a look at the questions and answers.
Question 1: Wearing a condom, after finishing sleeping with my partner, it turned out that the semen flowed down to the base outside the condom. Is there a chance it could go in?
Answer 1: There is a high possibility that sperm has already entered the vagina because the penis softened, the condom slipped off, and the penis was withdrawn slowly (when it should be withdrawn while still erect). There is a chance of pregnancy. It is better to take emergency contraception as a precaution.
Question 2: I just took emergency contraception 2 days ago, and today we had sex again. Should I take it again?
Answer 2: The truth is, one set of emergency contraceptive pills, known commercially as Postinor or Madonna, contains 2 pills, each with 0.75 milligrams of levonorgestrel. Once taken, it cannot prevent pregnancy for more than one intercourse. Simply put, it can only prevent pregnancy from one instance of sexual intercourse.
Therefore, you need to take emergency contraception again. But Uncle Doctor recommends that next time, if you plan to have sex, you should use a condom or abstain from sex until the woman takes a 21 or 28-day contraceptive pill or gets a contraceptive injection. The reason is that these methods are more effective in prevention.
Question 3: Had sex with my partner last week without a condom. After we finished, I went to buy a new type of emergency contraceptive with just one pill and took it 30 minutes later. But it’s been a week, and my period hasn’t come. Could I be pregnant?
Answer 3: Out of one hundred women who have unprotected sex once, 8 will become pregnant. But if emergency contraceptive pills are used, the pregnancy rate drops to 1-3. However, it should only be used in emergencies, not for long-term, regular, or frequent contraception. Uncle Doctor emphasizes this because the pill only reduces the chance of pregnancy. The sooner it is used, the more effective it is, as in this case, where it was taken 30 minutes after intercourse. It can be used within 5 days or 120 hours after intercourse, with a prevention effectiveness of 52-94%.
Emergency contraception works by inhibiting or delaying the development of the ovarian follicle or its rupture. If taken during ovulation, it may not prevent pregnancy, or you might be lucky not to get pregnant if intercourse occurs more than 24 hours after ovulation. If you have sex twice in one day, you can take emergency contraception once afterward. Currently, there is a new type of emergency contraception that combines the 2-pill method into 1 pill, containing 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel. It is as effective as the 2-pill method but more convenient as you don’t have to split the dosage. If your period does not come as usual within three weeks after taking the pill, you should take a urine pregnancy test to ensure you are not pregnant.
Question 4: After taking emergency contraception, how many days will it take for my period to come?
Answer 4: One week after taking emergency contraception, there may be spotting from the vagina. Many people often think it’s their period, but it’s actually a side effect that can occur, resulting from levonorgestrel, a synthetic progestin hormone in emergency contraception. The period may come slightly earlier or later than usual, but it mostly aligns with the usual date. There is interesting detailed information about periods after taking emergency contraception from research at Princeton University, USA, in August 2017. Uncle Doctor will share it in the next part.
With love and care,
Uncle Doctor Ruangkit Sirikanchanakul