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Emergency Contraceptive
If the contraception you have used has failed, the morning after pill can prevent pregnancy if taken within a certain time frame. These products are sold for future use & not as an emergency contraceptive.
To order the morning after pill online, choose your preferred treatment and complete a short online consultation about your health. Our UK-based GPs will assess your suitability and prescribe your medication, delivered safely and discreetly to your door.
Please Note: This consultation is only suitable if you don't need the morning after pill right now / immediately but wish to order it in case you need it for future use.
Treatments for Emergency Contraceptive
Overview
What is the morning after pill?
The morning after pill is a type of contraceptive used during emergencies when the usual contraception has failed. It will prevent any pregnancies and must be taken within a certain time frame.
How does the morning after pill work?
The morning after pill is similarly composed to that of a contraceptive pill, however it contains larger doses of the hormones typically found in contraceptive pills. These hormones make it more difficult for the sperm to fertilise the egg by thickening the mucus in the cervix. They also make the body think it has already ovulated, preventing eggs from being released from the ovaries. The morning after pill can also prevent ovulation.
How to take the morning after pill?
The pill must be taken as soon as possible after contraception has failed during sex. Orally ingest one dose of the pill with water without chewing the pill.
How long after sex can you take the morning after pill?
The time frame you have to ingest the pill is dependent on the pill taken. There are two different pills, Levonelle and ellaOne.
Levonelle has a timeframe of 72 hours after unprotected sex.
ellaOne has a timeframe of 120 hours after unprotected sex.
The sooner the pill is taken the more effective it will be.
Treatments
About Levonelle
Levonelle is a single tablet which can be taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex to prevent a pregnancy. The sooner it is taken, the more effective it will be in preventing a pregnancy.
Levonelle should only be used during emergencies. If used too regularly, you may suffer from many symptoms including unreliable and irregular periods.
Levonelle does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases so use other forms of contraception such as condoms to protect against these.
If vomiting occurs within three hours of taking Levonelle you will need another tablet and should seek immediate medical help.
About ellaOne
ellaOne is a single tablet which can be taken within 120 hours after unprotected sex to prevent a pregnancy. The sooner it is taken, the more effective it will be in preventing a pregnancy.
ellaOne should only be used during emergencies. If used too regularly, you may suffer from many symptoms including unreliable and irregular periods.
If vomiting occurs within 3 hours of taking ellaOne, you will need another tablet and should seek immediate medical help.
If your menstrual period is late or in case of symptoms of pregnancy, pregnancy should be excluded before taking ellaOne.
Side Effects
The morning after pill is similarly composed to that of a contraceptive pill however it includes higher dosages of the hormones present in contraceptive pills. Due to the higher dosage of hormones, the side effects are likely to be more noticeable in morning after pills compared to contraceptive pills.
Levonelle:
- Fatigue
- Bleeding not related to menstruation
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Headache
- Very common side effects (affects more than 10% of the population)
Common side effects (affects 1-10% of the population)
- Dizziness
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Delayed/irregular menstruation
- Breast tenderness
For a full list of side effects, please read the patient information leaflet.
ellaOne:
Common side effects (affects 1-10% of the population)
- Mood changes
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea/vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Back/muscle pain
- Breast tenderness
- Pelvic pain
- Fatigue
For a full list of side effects, please read the patient information leaflet.
FAQ
How effective is the morning after pill?
If EllaOne is taken when you are not ovulating and within the 120 hour timeframe after unprotected sex, there is a 98-99% chance of the pregnancy being terminated.
If Levonelle is taken when you are not ovulating and within the 72 hour timeframe after unprotected sex, there is a 97-99% chance of the pregnancy being terminated.
If you are close to ovulation, EllaOne is the better choice to Levonelle. During ovulation neither pill will work.
Levonelle does not hinder the ability of contraceptive pills, so contraceptive pills are still able to be used as normal.
EllaOne can hinder the ability of contraceptive pills by your body building tolerance to them. Due to this, you must use a different type of contraception 7 days after using EllaOne for full protection against pregnancy.
How long after sex can you take the morning after pill?
There are two different morning after pills, Levonelle and Ellaone. When you can take it depends on which brand you take.
Levonelle needs to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, whereas EllaOne can be taken until up to 120 hours after unprotected sex. The sooner after sex you take the morning after pill, the better - this goes for both Levonelle and Ellaone.
How Does the Morning After Pill Work?
Levonelle and EllaOne contain chemicals that mimic the female sex hormone progesterone. They are thought to prevent ovulation, fertilisation and change the lining of the womb.
Levonelle and EllaOne trick the body into thinking that it has already ovulated, which prevents eggs being released from the ovaries. They also thickens the mucus in the cervix (the neck of the womb) which makes it harder for sperm to cross from the vagina into the womb to fertilise any eggs that might be there. Finally, Levonelle and EllaOne change the lining of the womb so that any fertilised eggs cannot implant into it.
