Many people have heard that the morning-after pill is just a strong dose of birth control pill -and they are essentially correct. The morning-after pill is a high-dose combination of the female hormones estrogen and progestin, and should only be used in an emergency situation for a woman who has had unprotected intercourse or in the case where the chosen contraception has failed. These high dosages may disrupt the menstrual cycle and cause extremely uncomfortable side effects (described below). Do NOT take any abnormal doses of birth control medication without consulting a physician or health care professional! You can harm your body if you do not follow a professional's advice.