Lifestyle

If You Have This Body Type, The Morning-After Pill Might Not Work

by Talia Koren
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In the wake of a broken condom or unprotected sex in general, the morning-after pill is your go-to if you're not on any type of birth control.

The morning-after pill is known to be a quick, convenient and effective way to stop an unwanted pregnancy. However, new research shows women who are overweight won't get the full effects of taking the pill.

Researchers tested on 10 women with obese and normal BMIs (body mass index). Any BMI over 30 is considered obese.

They gave participants 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel-based emergency contraception and measured the concentration of the hormone in their blood streams.

What did they find? The levels of the hormone were much lower in the bloodstreams of the obese women compared to the women with normal BMI. That's not great. So the researchers gave the obese group of women a double dose on the second round, which then matched the level of the hormone in the other women's bloodstream.

OK, so this doesn't mean heavier women shouldn't bother with emergency contraceptives. But it does mean they should pay attention to the brand. There are actually specific brands of emergency contraception for women out there who are overweight.

And even though I'm about to sound like everyone's sex-ed teacher from middle school right now, the best contraceptives are used and applied before sex even happens. Like condoms and birth control.

Plan B should never be plan A.

Citations: The Crazy-Common Thing That Makes Your Morning After Pill Ineffective (Fitness Magazine)