Morning after pill myths

ellaOne^® contains ulipristal acetate which will affect the hormones that control ovulation in your current menstrual cycle. This means it can change the date your next period arrives, or make it heavier or lighter than usual. By your next menstrual cycle everything should return to its usual pattern. In fact, your fertility is likely to return rapidly after taking the morning after pill, so we recommend using a barrier method of contraception – like a condom or diaphragm – until your next period arrives.

ellaOne^® has no long-lasting side effects and is generally very well-tolerated, but every person is different. It is unlikely that it will turn you into an over-emotional, chocolate-craving, acne ridden wreck.

Whilst ellaOne^® is generally well tolerated, it is true that some people experience nausea after taking emergency contraception, but this isn’t true for most women. Some women experience nausea after taking emergency contraception, but this is normally very mild. If, for any reason, you vomit within three hours of taking emergency contraception it will not be effective and you will need to take another pill.

When purchasing ellaOne^® in a pharmacy, you will be asked questions to determine whether the medicine is suitable for you. One of the things that the pharmacist is assessing is whether you are allergic to any of the ingredients. You can also double-check this by reading the leaflet that comes with your medicine and checking you are not allergic to any ingredients.

The morning after pill is only capable of preventing pregnancy by delaying ovulation, this means that there is no egg in the fallopian tube for the sperm to meet and fertilise. If the morning after pill is taken by someone who is already pregnant, emergency contraception will not interrupt this pregnancy. It is not an abortion pill.

There is no evidence that taking emergency contraception can have a long-lasting effect on your fertility. In fact, your fertility returns so quickly after using emergency contraception that we recommend using a barrier method of contraception such as a condom or a diaphragm until your next period.

The morning after pill will only affect your ovulation for the cycle you’re in. After your next period, your menstrual cycle should return to normal. Many women use emergency contraception who later go on to have children, if and when they choose to do so. You can take emergency contraception at several occasions in your lifetime and it still will have no effect on your future fertility.

As the name suggests, emergency contraception pills should be for an emergency and not used in place of regular contraception. The oral contraceptive pill works in a similar way to regular contraception – they both can affect ovulation – but they are not the same medicine.

It is also important to remember that the morning after pill cannot protect against sexually transmitted infections. Only condoms can do that.

If you are sexually active, it makes sense to have a regular contraceptive that works for you: whether that is condoms, oral contraceptive pills or an IUD, there are plenty of contraceptives to choose from! If you have more questions, you can make an appointment with your GP to talk about your choices.

The morning after pill has a specific window of effectiveness from when the unprotected sex took place. If you have sex again after taking emergency contraception, you should use a barrier method of contraception (like a condom or diaphragm) until your next period arrives. From then on, you should find a method of regular contraception that works for you to avoid having any accidents in the future.

If another condom splits, it is possible to take emergency contraception more than once in the same cycle, but you should ask your pharmacist for advice if this is the case.

Like the name ’emergency contraception’ suggests, this medicine is recommended for use in an emergency and not as a regular from of contraception. But life doesn’t always turn out that way, and we know that accidents can happen at any time.

You can take emergency contraception twice in the same cycle but it may be less effective. If you do need to use it twice in the same cycle, you should seek medical advice from a GP or a pharmacist.

There are many methods of regular contraception out there. If you find that yours keeps letting you down – or you find it easy to forget altogether – you should talk to your GP about an option that works for you and suits your lifestyle.

No, unfortunately it does not. If you’re having unprotected sex, pregnancy is not the only risk. There are also STIs to be aware of. The morning after pill only affects your ovulation, by stopping or delaying it to prevent pregnancy. The only contraceptive method that also protects against STIs is a condom.

If you have had unprotected sex, you should make an appointment to have an STI test with your doctor or at a sexual health clinic. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear, because many STIs can be symptomless.