If you had unprotected sex and want to avoid pregnancy, you have an effective option: the emergency pill or morning after pill.
As its name says, it is a pill that you take after having sex with a risk of pregnancy. Either because you forgot to use protection, because the condom failed or you were a victim of non-consensual penetration. There are two types: levonorgestrel and ulipristal acetate.
Levonorgestrel can come in a one or two tablet presentation and its main component is a type of progestin that prevents ovulation, prevents fertilization or the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
If you bought the presentation that comes with two pills, you should read the instruction leaflet. You can take both at once (1.5 mg) or take one and the next at 12 hours, with 0.75 mg each.
The morning after pill can be found in any pharmacy without a prescription and the brands can vary, from those that simply use levonorgestrel as their name to others such as Postinor 2, Emcon 1 or Afterol. The price and brands vary according to the country.
What is ulipristal acetate?
In the United States there is also the option of another emergency pill available with a different component, which is called ulipristal acetate. What this product does is prevent progesterone from doing its job, which is to prepare the body for a possible pregnancy. By blocking this process, an unwanted pregnancy is prevented.
In the United States, the only FDA-approved brand is Ella and it is sold by prescription only. It can cost up to $50 at the pharmacy or be free if you have health insurance that covers it.
The dose is a single dose 30 milligram oral tablet, taken after unprotected sex as soon as possible and no later than 120 hours.
How effective are emergency pills?
Levonorgestrel-only emergency contraception has an 89% efficacy rate if used correctly within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse.
In contrast, ulipristal acetate can be used up to 120 hours later. That's five days, with a effectiveness of 85%. Healthline notes that "it has been proven to work better than other morning-after pills in people with a body mass index equal to or greater than 26."
What can you expect when taking it?
If it has been effective, your period will return within 7 days of its normal date. If you took the pill before ovulation, you may have progestogen deprivation bleeding, which is not a period per se and usually occurs when there are hormonal changes such as stopping the birth control pill or switching to a subdermal implant or IUD.
If you do not have a period three weeks after taking the emergency pill, you may be pregnant and should be tested.
If the test result is positive, you should know that you have options. Go ahead with your pregnancy or terminate it, and if you need information without judgment, you can download our application Aya Contigo, where our team is ready to answer your questions and give you support.
How many times can you use the morning after pill?
You can use the emergency pill whenever you need it, but it is not recommended that you do so for the following reasons:
First of all, it is much cheaper to use regular contraceptives such as condoms, birth control pills, intrauterine device, patch, vaginal ring, injection or subdermal implant.
If you have doubts about which one works for you, you can take the quiz in our app Aya Contigo, which gives you personalized options according to your needs and lifestyle.
Secondly, regular contraceptives are up to 98% effective if used correctly and depending on the type you choose, which makes them safer than the emergency pill.
Another important reason is that the emergency pill can have side effects, such as nausea, bleeding between periods and can alter your menstrual cycle because one of those effects is to delay ovulation.
Does the emergency pill affect long-term fertility?
No. There is no clinical evidence to suggest that the morning after pill causes infertility. You can become pregnant as soon as you ovulate again within a month after taking the pill, so it is important that you use a contraceptive that protects you.
It also has no residual effect, which means that it is not effective in preventing pregnancy for a long period of time. If you want this type of protection you should select a traditional contraceptive method such as the birth control pill, the shot or the intrauterine device.
If, despite using the emergency pill, you find that you have an unwanted pregnancy, remember that you have options.
You can find information about abortion and talk to our specialized doulas by downloading our Aya Contigo app, where you will find science-based, non-judgmental support to help you make informed decisions.
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