Oral contraceptives have proven to be among the most effective ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Yet, they must be taken accurately and safely to prevent any unwanted side-effects, doctors advise.

“Birth control pills come in many different brands, which have different side effects. It is important that one chooses the right one that fits their physical traits,” says the Korea Food & Drug Administration.

Basically, oral contraceptive pills can be divided into two different types ― birth control pills and postcoital contraceptives, commonly called morning-after pills.

Birth control pills use hormones to prevent pregnancy by stopping the release of an ovum and keeping the sperm from getting through the cervix. They must be taken on a daily basis.

Morning-after pills also use hormones to prevent pregnancy, but they are designed to be taken once as an emergency measure after unprotected sex.

Korea made a major shift in its policy on the two pills in July, making morning-after pills available without prescription. Birth control pills, instead, now require a visit to the doctor. For the past five decades, the opposite has been the case here.

Here are some tips from the KFDA for safer use of the pills.

― Don’t smoke if you take oral contraceptives, since it can increase the risk of thrombosis, or blood clots. This is more so for those aged 35 and over with weak vein conditions.

― Those with a family history of breast cancer and deemed to have a higher risk of breast cancer should seek alternative methods of birth control, rather than oral contraceptives.

― If your pack of birth control medicine contains 21 pills, take one pill daily for three weeks, followed by one week off. If you forget to take one, take it as soon as you remember. If you don’t remember until the next day, go ahead and take 2 pills that day. If you forget to take your pills for 2 days, take 2 pills the day you remember and 2 pills the next day. You will then be back on schedule. If you miss more than 2 birth control pills, seek advice from your health care provider. You will need to start over again with a new pack.

― Morning-after pills are emergency pills and should not be considered as the main method of contraception.

― Even if you have taken morning-after pills, you can still get pregnant. Take a pregnancy test if your period is delayed more than a week or if you have irregular bleeding around the time of the next expected period.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)