Plan ‘B’ is an emergency contraception pill that has easy access all over India. Its generic version is called morning after pill. It contains higher doses of synthetic hormones found in birth control pill. It works by delaying the release of an egg from the ovary.
This pill is often confused with “mifepristone” which is the abortion pill, because it prompts a miscarriage. It is most effective if taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex. Its theory is simple – delaying egg-release from ovary protects from pregnancy Side effects are not devastating. But it works only if egg was not planted already in the uterus.
Mifepristone on the other hand attack an egg that is already implanted. Unrooting of this egg is abortion, that is why it is called abortion pill and differs from Plan B pill. The two should not be confused with one another. Abortion pills should be used more cautiously, their chemical effect is more serious for health and future pregnancy of a woman. They both have different purposes and consequent effects.
Morning after is more of a first aid pill that is available in western countries, even in womens’ hostels. India still has to learn such visionary thoughts without moral policing.
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