“The condom broke, I’m very afraid that I got pregnant. What to do?" — women’s forums were filled with such questions just a few years ago.
Today, many people know about the emergency contraception method, which will help avoid unwanted pregnancy if used within 1-3 days after the incident. Such measures include hormonal drugs including antigestagens and gestagens, as well as the introduction of an intrauterine device into the vagina.
However, there is one “but”: since emergency contraceptives can have a negative impact on health, doctors do not recommend using them yourself. It is recommended to consult a gynecologist, who will take into account your health condition and individual characteristics of the body before prescribing the drug.
There may be another reason to visit a doctor: with unprotected contact, there is a high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections. Completing special tests will eliminate this possibility. At the Best Clinic multidisciplinary medical center, you can see a specialized doctor every day to get competent advice on your issue.
In what cases is emergency contraception acceptable?
Under no circumstances should you resort to emergency contraception all the time. Whatever the situation, we are talking about a powerful drug. However, you can use the “magic pill” once only if you have received the approval of your gynecologist. Situations in which the drug may be taken may be as follows:
- in case of complete rape, when the victim wants to get rid of any reminders of the event;
- in case of unprotected sexual intercourse, if pregnancy is not part of your immediate plans;
- in case of improper interruption of sexual intercourse, when sperm enters the vagina;
- if the condom is damaged or slips off the penis during sex.
Attention! You can take emergency contraceptives a maximum of 1-2 times a year, but it is better to do it much less often.
Pain and other problems with sex after childbirth
When resuming sexual activity after childbirth, a woman may encounter the following problems:
Vaginal dryness
After childbirth, most women, especially those who are breastfeeding, experience a sharp decrease in the level of female sex hormones - estrogens. As a result, the amount of natural vaginal lubrication produced decreases. For this reason, sexual intercourse can be uncomfortable and even painful for a woman. In this case, you should stock up on special lubricant in advance, which can be bought at any pharmacy. You just need to carefully monitor the composition of these lubricants and not use those that contain hormones if a woman is breastfeeding.
Pain during sexual intercourse
Pain during sexual intercourse may also be associated with the presence of sutures and scars on the perineum and vaginal walls; sometimes, due to sutures, the configuration of the vagina may change. Pain may also be observed in the area of the scar on the anterior abdominal wall after a cesarean section. Any suture during healing can cause some discomfort. This is due to changes in the sensitivity of the injured when the nerve endings are cut or ruptured. To avoid or eliminate pain in the suture area, during sexual intercourse you need to choose a position in which minimal pressure is applied to the scar. As the nerve endings adapt, over time, the discomfort in the suture area will pass. You can consult with your gynecologist, who will recommend local medications to speed up tissue restoration in the scar area. These drugs can also be used by nursing mothers.
Changes in vaginal muscle tone
Changes in the tone of the vaginal muscles can leave their mark on the sensations during the first sexual intercourse. However, the weakening of muscle tone and vaginal enlargement is temporary and this problem will go away within a few months, especially if the woman can find a few minutes a day to perform Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises involve contracting the pelvic muscles that support the vagina. These muscles contract when a woman stops urinating or tightens her vagina. During the exercises, the muscles contract strongly for one or two seconds, then relax; To achieve the effect, it must be repeated several times a day for 5-30 contractions. Ideally, it is better to practice such exercises during pregnancy: the woman will come to childbirth more prepared, and after the birth of the baby, the muscles will tone up faster.
Breast problems
Some problems during sex after childbirth may arise with the breasts. Firstly, touching the nipples of the mammary glands can be unpleasant and sometimes even painful. Secondly, during orgasm, due to the release of the hormone oxytocin, milk is released from the nipples. To avoid this, it is best to choose a time about an hour after feeding the baby, then the possibility of milk appearing from the breast is the least, but if this still cannot be avoided, it is worth having a towel on hand.
It must also be said that many women after childbirth do not experience any problems with sex - on the contrary, they say that the attraction to their husband has become stronger and the orgasm is brighter.
Hormonal emergency contraception
As emergency hormonal drugs, drugs of different generations can be used: from long-used to the latest tablets. Each product has its own recommendations for use and is designed for a certain period after sexual intercourse, during which you can drink it. As a rule, this period is 72–96 hours, although there are also drugs with a longer period of administration.
The action of these drugs is aimed at reducing progesterone, the pregnancy hormone. Due to its deficiency, the capillaries of the placenta are destroyed. The walls of the uterus lose their ability to hold the fertilized egg, which causes its evacuation. After taking the pills, menstrual irregularities and heavy bleeding may occur.
If you have resorted to emergency contraception, contacting a gynecologist is mandatory in any case. Before the next scheduled period, or if there is no menstruation while taking the pills, you should visit the clinic. Attention! In case of pain and excessive blood loss, this must be done urgently!
Instructions for use ESCAPELLE®
This drug is intended solely for emergency contraception and does not replace regular hormonal contraception. Repeated use of Escapelle® during one menstrual cycle is not recommended.
Emergency contraception does not prevent pregnancy in all cases.
If the time of sexual intercourse is unknown or more than 72 hours have passed since unprotected sexual intercourse, pregnancy may occur. In this regard, the use of Escapelle® after the second sexual intercourse may be ineffective. If menstruation is delayed by more than 5 days, if there is a change in the nature of menstruation that occurred on time, or if pregnancy is suspected for any other reason, pregnancy should be excluded. If pregnancy occurs after using Escapelle®, you should be aware of the possibility of ectopic pregnancy.
The absolute risk of ectopic pregnancy appears to be low because levonorgestrel prevents ovulation and fertilization. Ectopic pregnancy can develop despite the appearance of uterine bleeding. In this regard, levonorgestrel is not recommended for use in the presence of risk factors for ectopic pregnancy (salpingitis or a history of ectopic pregnancy).
Escapelle® is not recommended for use in patients with severe liver failure.
In case of severe intestinal absorption disorders (for example, Crohn's disease), the effectiveness of Escapelle® may be reduced.
After taking Escapel®, normal menstruation usually occurs at the expected time. Sometimes your period may start a few days earlier or later than expected. It is recommended to consult a doctor to select or adjust regular contraception. If Escapel® was used against the background of regular hormonal contraception, and menstruation does not occur during the subsequent 7-day break in taking the contraceptive, pregnancy must be excluded.
Repeated use of the drug during the same menstrual cycle is not recommended due to the possibility of its disruption.
There is limited evidence that requires further confirmation that the contraceptive effectiveness of Escapelle may decrease with increasing body weight or BMI. All women, regardless of their weight and BMI, should take emergency contraception as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse.
The drug contains lactose monohydrate (142.5 mg). Patients with congenital galactose or lactose intolerance or glucose-galactose malabsorption syndrome are not recommended to take the drug.
Escapelle® is not effective as regular contraception and can only be used as an emergency contraceptive. Women who regularly use emergency contraception should consult their doctor to select a method of permanent contraception.
The use of emergency contraception does not eliminate the need to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
Impact on the ability to drive vehicles and operate machinery
Studies have not been conducted to identify the possible effect of the drug on the ability to drive a car and operate machinery.
Preclinical safety data
In animal experiments, virilization of female fetuses was observed when high doses of levonorgestrel were used.
Preclinical studies have not identified any specific potential harm to humans other than those presented elsewhere in the product summary.
Contraindications to hormonal emergency contraception
You cannot use emergency contraception with specialized medications if you have:
- severe liver damage;
- uterine bleeding in earlier periods;
- migraines, attacks of severe uncontrollable headaches;
- if you exceed the age threshold of 35 years;
- long history of active smoking.
Taking emergency contraception has a number of possible side effects. These include dizziness, nausea and vomiting, pain in the mammary glands, head, lower abdomen, menstrual irregularities, and thrombosis. It is noted that all side effects should disappear within the first two days after taking the drug. Be that as it may, emergency contraception should only be used in rare cases of force majeure.
When can you start having sex after childbirth?
In the first 6-8 weeks after childbirth, gynecologists do not recommend having sex. This is due to the fact that the body is recovering at this time after 9 months of pregnancy. Immediately after the end of the third stage of labor, that is, the birth of the placenta, the early postpartum period begins. It continues for 2 hours. Then comes the late postpartum period. This period lasts 6-8 weeks. During this time, there is a reverse development (involution) of all organs and systems that have undergone changes in connection with pregnancy and childbirth. The exception is the mammary glands, the function of which reaches its peak in the postpartum period.
The most pronounced involutional changes occur in the genital organs, especially in the uterus. The rate of involutional changes is most pronounced in the first 8-12 days. The uterus and cervix are significantly reduced in size. After the birth of the placenta, a large wound surface remains in the uterus, which takes approximately 4-6 weeks to heal. During this period, the placental area in the uterus bleeds, spotting - lochia - is bloody in nature in the first days, gradually its color changes from red to reddish-brown, brownish, by the 4th week the discharge almost stops and soon disappears completely. Sexual contact at this time can facilitate the penetration of infection through the slightly open cervix into the uterus; blood and an open wound surface will only contribute to the rapid progression of inflammation.
After vaginal birth, complications can often occur in the form of incisions or tears in the perineum, vaginal walls or cervix. It also takes time for stitches to heal after childbirth. Even if there were no ruptures during childbirth, the tone of the muscles of the vagina and perineum after natural childbirth is significantly reduced. The process of reverse development of the vaginal muscles depends on the tone of these muscles before pregnancy, on whether the woman trained them during pregnancy, on age, and genetic characteristics.
In patients who have undergone a planned cesarean section, there are no changes in the vaginal walls, but restoration of the size of the uterus occurs more slowly. In addition, it takes time for healing and the formation of a full-fledged scar on the anterior abdominal wall. This takes about a month on average.
So, 6-8 weeks after birth, it is recommended to visit a gynecologist
who will examine the condition of the uterus, cervix, sutures on the perineum or vaginal walls, a scar on the abdominal wall after a cesarean section, take a smear on the flora to identify signs of inflammation, and then give the go-ahead to resume intimate relationships.
Emergency intrauterine contraception
The technology is based on the introduction of a special intrauterine device into the vaginal cavity in the first 5–7 days after sexual intercourse, during which there is a risk of unplanned pregnancy. The spiral blocks the implantation of a fertilized egg, while being more effective than the previous method.
However, this means of emergency contraception cannot be used if we are talking about a young nulliparous woman. In addition, there are a number of contraindications to its use, which a qualified doctor can recognize.
If you have unplanned sexual contact without the proper level of protection, contacting a specialist is the only correct option. Call Best Clinic Medical Center to make an appointment. Or create an online request for a call back from the operator by filling out a special form on the website.
