To many, the thought of an unplanned pregnancy may be daunting and results in a rush for a solution when a method of contraception fails or isn't used. Emergency contraception (EC), which is commonly known as the "morning-after pill," is a backup option that can keep one from getting pregnant after sex without protection. It is most important in scenarios where normal birth control wasn't employed or has failed i.e., the breaking of a condom- or rape.

If you ever need EC, responding quickly is essential, and calling a healthcare provider can sort out the best solution for your circumstances. For people who have repeated pregnancy scares, talking to their healthcare provider about using a more dependable form of birth control may save them worry and offer constant protection against unplanned pregnancy.

With greater awareness about reproductive health, educating yourself and others on emergency contraception is important because knowledge of your choices is the beginning of taking charge of your reproductive life.

Although it is available and effective, emergency contraception is filled with myths and misconceptions. What one should note is that EC is not used to replace birth control but to serve as a safety net during emergencies. Six key facts regarding emergency contraception that every woman needs to know are listed below.

1. Emergency Contraception Does Not Work If You Are Already Pregnant

The most notable misconception regarding emergency contraception is its effect. EC does not end a pregnancy that has already been established. Rather, it prevents ovulation, fertilization, or implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. This implies that if fertilization and implantation have already taken place, EC will be ineffective.

Other forms of EC are hormonal pills—like Plan B One-Step® and ella®—and the copper intrauterine device (IUD). If you suspect you might already be pregnant, it is best to take a pregnancy test first before using emergency contraception.

2. The Copper IUD Is the Most Effective Emergency Contraception Option

Most individuals believe that emergency contraception is only available in pill form, but the most effective form is the copper intrauterine device (IUD). The copper IUD can be inserted within five days of unprotected sex and is more than 99.9% effective in preventing pregnancy. In contrast to emergency contraceptive pills, which become less effective the longer you wait, the copper IUD is very effective even when inserted near the five-day deadline.

Besides its use in emergency situations, the copper IUD also provides long-term contraception, with protection for as long as 10 years. This makes it a great choice for those who want an immediate and a long-term solution to birth control.

3. Time Is Critical: The Sooner You Act, the More Effective It Is

In the case of emergency contraceptive pills, timing is critical. The majority of EC pills are most effective when taken as soon as one can after having unprotected sex. There are two primary types:

Levonorgestrel-based pills (such as Plan B One-Step®): These are over-the-counter and are best taken within 72 hours but can still be effective up to five days after.

Ulipristal acetate pills (e.g., ella®): This prescription-only medication can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex and is more effective than levonorgestrel pills, particularly towards the latter end of the five-day time period.

Whichever type is used, the sooner the pill is taken, the greater the likelihood of preventing pregnancy.

4. Emergency Contraceptive Pills Are Not a Substitute for Regular Birth Control

Although EC is an important tool in averting unplanned pregnancy, it must not be employed as a routine means of birth control. Emergency contraceptive pills are far less effective compared to daily birth control pills, IUDs, or implants. Repeated use of EC may also result in menstrual abnormalities and side effects like nausea, pelvic pain, and lethargy.

If you're always using EC, it might be time to talk to a doctor about a more reliable and long-term method of birth control. A healthcare provider can advise you on the best long-term option for your life and needs.

5. If You Vomit Shortly After You Take the Pill, It Will Not Work

One little-known but essential fact about emergency contraceptive pills is that vomiting soon after taking them can make them useless. If you vomit within two hours of taking the pill, your body may not have absorbed sufficient medication. You might need to take another dose or explore other forms of emergency contraception, including the copper IUD.

If you have frequent nausea, taking anti-nausea medication before or using another form of EC could be more suitable.

6. Emergency Contraception Provides No Long-Term Protection

Taking an emergency contraceptive pill will not protect you from pregnancy after that one episode of unprotected sex. If you have unprotected intercourse again after using EC, you are still at risk of pregnancy. EC also temporarily decreases the effectiveness of some hormonal birth control methods, like the pill, for the rest of the cycle.

If you use EC, talk to a healthcare provider about whether you will need to continue using backup contraception (such as condoms) during the next few days or weeks to maintain pregnancy protection.

Emergency contraception is an important choice for avoiding pregnancy in an unplanned situation but is not a form of birth control. Knowing how EC works, its limitations, and the best alternatives available can allow people to make good choices about their reproductive health.

Receiving a vaccine booster in the same arm as the first dose triggers a faster and stronger immune response and helps the body build protection faster, a new study from Australian scientists has revealed. The findings could help improve vaccine strategies and may eventually lead to vaccines that need fewer boosters. The study was published in the journal Cell and finds that the immune system responds more quickly when both doses are given in the same arm.

Why Will It Work?

Researchers discovered this effect first in mice, then confirmed it in a clinical study involving 30 people who received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Those who had both doses in the same arm developed faster and more effective protection, especially against COVID-19 variants like Delta and Omicron. While both groups ended up with similar antibody levels after four weeks, the same-arm group gained protection more quickly, a potential game-changer during pandemic outbreaks.

"If you've had your COVID jabs in different arms, don't worry, our research shows that over time the difference in protection diminishes," said the study's co-senior author, Mee Ling Munier from the Kirby Institute.

How Do Vaccines Work?

Microplastics pose a danger to the heart. While there is enough evidence to show that they clog arteries and exacerbate the risk of stroke, recent research has found that these teeny particles of plastic can trigger cardiovascular diseases. It is estimated that chemicals in plastic were linked to nearly 350,000 heart disease deaths across the world in 2018. Adding to that, is this study published in the journal eBioMedicine, which estimated that roughly 13 per cent of cardiovascular deaths among 55- to 64-year-olds worldwide that year could be attributed to phthalates.

Where Are Phthalates are esters of phthalic acids, which are added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. They are found in personal care products like shampoos and lotions as well as in food containers and packaging. It is also possible to injest them through food, absorb them through skin from products containing them or breathe them from dust.

Some studies have shown an association between phthalates and cardiovascular disease, but there isn’t strong evidence to show that the chemicals directly cause heart issues, said Sung Kyun Park, a professor of epidemiology and environmental sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. However, there is enough evidence that states that phthalates increase the risk of metabolic disorders like obesity and Type 2 diabetes, which can cause cardiovascular disease. One way phthalates may do this is by increasing oxidative stress—cell and tissue damage that happens when there are too many unstable molecules in the body—and by promoting inflammation.

Microplastics: Explained

Microplastics are extremely small particles—often less than five millimetres in size—created when larger pieces of plastic break down. They can enter the human body in multiple ways: through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and even skin contact. An even smaller subset, known as nanoplastics, measures under 1,000 nanometers and is completely invisible to the naked eye. Because of their minuscule size, these particles can infiltrate tissues, organs, and potentially disrupt biological functions.

One Simple Way To Mitigate Risk Of Microplastics

Amid growing concerns about microplastic contamination, especially in drinking water, scientists have been working on practical ways to mitigate exposure. In 2024, a research team from Guangzhou Medical Centre made a breakthrough. They discovered that a common household activity—boiling water—can significantly reduce microplastic content in tap water.

According to the team, combining boiling with basic filtration can remove up to 90% of nanoplastic and microplastic particles (NMPs) from household water. However, the method’s effectiveness varied depending on the type of water used. In areas where tap water contains higher mineral content, commonly referred to as "hard water," the technique proved especially efficient.

The secret lies in limescale. As hard water is heated, it forms limescale—a chalky white substance—which appears to create a sticky layer that traps microplastic fragments. Researchers found this natural process enhanced the removal of plastic particles from water, offering a practical and affordable solution for most households.

While more research is needed to fully understand the long-term health effects of microplastics, early evidence suggests they may be more dangerous than previously thought—especially for cardiovascular health.

Most people do not take neck pain seriously. While it is uncomfortable, people attribute it to lifestyle factors like incorrect sitting posture or looking at their phones for too long. However, extended periods of neck pain could be serious.

Most neck pains do not need to be treated as a serious medical threat, however there is an exception. Harvard Health Publishing explains that there's a rare problem worth knowing about: a tear in one of the blood vessels in your neck. Doctors call this cervical artery dissection. It doesn't happen very often – only to about two people out of every 100,000 each year. However, it's a leading cause of strokes in people younger than 50, which makes it important for awareness.

What Is Cervical Artery Tear?

In your neck, there are two sets of important blood vessels: the carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries. Together, these are called the cervical arteries, and they carry blood to your brain. A cervical artery dissection is when there's a tear in the inner lining of one of these blood vessels.

When a tear happens in a cervical artery, blood can leak in between the layers of the artery wall. This leaking blood can form a blood clot. This clot can either completely block the flow of blood through the artery or break off and travel to an artery in the brain. If either of these things happens, it can cause a stroke, which is a serious medical emergency.

Who Should Be Careful?

Cervical artery tears happen more often in younger adults for a couple of reasons. First, some people are born with weak connective tissue in their bodies, which can make their arteries more likely to tear. For these people, a tear in a neck artery is more likely to happen when they are younger. In older people, strokes are often caused by other things, like the arteries in the brain getting narrow because of fatty buildup. But it's still possible for older people to have cervical artery dissections. One study found that some people diagnosed with this problem were over 60.

The second, and maybe a bigger reason why these artery tears are more common in people under 50 is that younger adults are more likely to do activities that involve neck movements that can sometimes cause a tear. There have been reports of dissections happening after things like heavy weightlifting, dancing with a lot of head movements, and even yoga. If certain yoga poses, like a shoulder stand, aren't done correctly, they can bend the neck too far backwards.

You can also bend your neck too far back when you're getting your hair washed at the sink in a hair salon. Even though it doesn't happen very often, there's even a name for it: "beauty parlor stroke syndrome." To be safe, you can ask your hairdresser for a neck extension, which is a little cushion that supports your head so your neck doesn't have to bend so much.

Watch Out for Unusual Neck Pain

If you have a cervical artery dissection, the neck pain is often different from regular neck pain. It might feel strange, it doesn't go away, and it's often joined by a really bad headache. If the tear is in the carotid artery, the pain might spread along the side of your neck and up towards the outside corner of your eye.

If it's in the vertebral artery, it might feel like something sharp is stuck at the base of your skull. If you have this kind of pain, especially if you also have stroke symptoms like dizziness, seeing double, jerky eye movements, feeling unsteady when you walk, or slurred speech, it's important to get medical help right away.