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Plan B "The Morning After Pill" |
What is MAP? MAP is also known as "Emergency Contraception." It is a series of pills that is taken to either prevent pregnancy or abort a pregnancy before it implants in the uterus. How does it work? 1. MAP must be taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse. 2. A pregnancy test must be taken to confirm the woman is not already pregnant from a cycle before this most recent act of sex. It will not determine if she is in fact pregnant from the "recent night's" sexual activity. 3. Two doses of hormone pills are given, 12 hours apart. The pills may work in several ways: - preventing ovulation (egg may not be released)
- preventing fertilization (egg and sperm may not unite)
- preventing implantation (pregnancy may not attach to the uterus). This is an early abortion.
Are there any concerns? Physical effects: nausea, abdominal pain, tiredness, headache, menstrual changes, dizziness, breast tenderness, and vomiting. Emotional effects: Since MAP is taken so early, a woman never knows if she indeed conceived a baby. In addition, she does not know if the MAP she took aborted the baby.
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