Birth control pills and morning-after pills are quite similar in their ingredients and function. Both contain a form of female hormone called progesterone, or progestin in its synthetic form, according to the Mayo Clinic. Both types of pill prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg to meet with sperm that enter a woman's body during unprotected sex. The morning-after pill can also prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to a woman's uterine lining, a necessary step for the pregnancy to occur. Both types of pills should be taken as directed by a health-care provider.
Birth Control Pill Use
Step 1
Fill the prescription at a pharmacy or birthing facility for the birth control pill given by a health-care professional.
Step 2
Begin the pack of pills as directed by the manufacturer's instructions. Typically, this means taking one combination hormone pill the day after or the Sunday after the period starts. Progesterone-only pills can be started at any time of the month because they work by keeping hormone levels the same throughout the month. Take just one pill on the start date.
Step 3
Take one pill per day at the same time of day. The birth control pill is only effective when taken once every 24 hours. Continue this process until the pack is complete. During the last seven days of the combination hormone pill pack, a woman will take an inactive pill that only serves the purpose of reminding the woman to take a pill every day at the same time of day.
Step 4
Begin a new pack of pills as soon as the first is finished.
Morning-after Pills
Step 1
Obtain the morning-after pill from a pharmacist or birthing facility. This drug is usually available without a prescription for individuals over the age of 17, according to the Mayo Clinic. Each state may have a different guideline in place with regard to the age limit and where the pill is available for purchase.
Step 2
Take the first dose of the morning-after pill as soon as possible. Continue taking your regular birth control pill on this day.
Step 3
Take the second dose of the pill 12 hours after the first. Use a back-up method of birth control for at least seven days from the first dose of the morning-after pill.
Step 4
Contact a health-care professional if the next period is more than one week late, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. It is possible for the hormones to interfere with a woman's menstrual cycle, but it is important to monitor the issue in case the woman is pregnant, which occurs about 25 percent of the time the morning-after pill is used, according to the American Pregnancy Association.
