A Reproductive health specialist and Deputy Director of the Ghana Nursing Services, Mrs Mavis Apatu, has revealed that emergency contraceptive pills can reduce menstrual cramps and pains in women during their menstrual period.
“When a lady is on the hormonal contraceptive method, it helps in reducing the menstrual cramps and thus the pain is also reduced as well,” she said.
Mrs Mavis made the revelation in an interview with Graphic online last Monday.
Hormonal contraceptives
According to her, hormonal contraceptives contained some amount of man-made estrogen and progestin hormones which works to inhibit the body's natural cyclical hormones to prevent pregnancy.
The hormonal contraceptive, she added, usually stopped the body from ovulating and helps reduce menstrual pain if used properly.
Mrs Apatu also explained that even though there were mild effects of emergency contraceptives such as nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache and menstrual changes, it does not have any effect on the womb.
“The emergency contraceptive is only meant to prevent the sperm from fertilising an egg and not to harm the womb,” she assured.
Advice
Mrs Apatu, however, advised sexually active ladies to first seek advice from medical doctors before its usage to avoid any possible complications.
She said women who were already pregnant should avoid using the emergency contraceptive pills.
“Women who have a chronic medical condition should check with their doctors or health care providers before using this method of emergency contraception,“ she added.
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