The Dangers of Contraceptives: The Morning After Pill

There are a number of contraceptive devices on the market. Currently, the devices are more effective and less dangerous than they were 50 years ago (if the device existed at that time). However, there are still dangers inherent in the use of contraceptives. There are also dangers in unwanted pregnancies, and even too many welcomed pregnancies can decrease the lifespan and increase risk for death in women with other children to take care of - or just a life to live, for that matter. Below is a list of some of the most common contraceptive devices and their associated dangers.

A new contraceptive device called the "morning after" pill is a combination of hormones that works in three ways to prevent pregnancy - keeping the ovaries from releasing the egg, preventing the sperm from contacting the egg, and making the lining of the uterus more likely to reject the egg even if it becomes fertilized. The pill involves more intense hormone usage than a regular birth control pill and should not be taken by a woman who has a history of heart disease, stroke, migraine headaches, breast or reproductive organ cancer, or liver disease.

A drug called Mifepriistone is something that can be used as a contraceptive device or to induce an abortion. Mifepristone (referred to as the "abortion pill") causes the lining of the uterus to thin out and be rejected. If taken within 72 hours of exposed sexual intercourse, the drug prevents pregnancy. For an abortion, there are three administrations of mifepristone give within the first 49 days of pregnancy. A drug called misoprostal to induce vaginal contractions is administered the second day. A third visit is required to make sure the fetus is aborted. The same contra-indications are for the "abortion pill" as are for the "morning after" pill.