No side-effect of emergency contraceptive

A majority 69.2 per cent of women do not suffer from any side-effects after partaking emergency contraceptive pills, but a small percentage might have complaints of headaches, nausea and abdominal pain, a government study says.

The Indian Council of Medical Research initiated a pilot study on emergency contraception through eight human reproduction research centres of ICMR in medical colleges and hospitals across the country.

Majority (69.2 per cent) of the pill users did not have any complaints after using the pills. Of the remaining women who had complaints, the reasons were nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain, headache in 10 per cent to 14 per cent, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Explaining further, he said EC pill I-pill containing the hormone Levonorgestrel prevents possible pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual act.

It usually acts by inhibition or delay of ovulation and may also inhibit implantation.