Women can now get the morning-after pill from pharmacies free of charge.
The move has been hailed as one of the most significant changes to sexual health services since the 1960s, and officials hope it will help widen access and convenience for patients across the country.
It has been available for free through most GPs and sexual health clinics for a while but previously, it could cost up to ÂŁ30 at pharmacies.
But, starting from Wednesday, nearly 10,000 community pharmacies will offer the pill for free, with no need to book an appointment with a doctor or visit a clinic.
We got in touch with some experts who have explained the different types of pills available and outlined how they work and their effectiveness, while also clearing up six common misconceptions surrounding emergency contraception.
What is the morning after pill and how does it work?
“There’s a couple of different types of morning-after pills, but the way that they work, at a very basic level, is they’re trying to delay someone’s ovulation,” explains Dr Nikki Ramskill, Doctify-rated GP and women’s health expert. “If somebody has unprotected sex and they’ve [still] got sperm [present], you’re trying to prevent the egg from reaching it. So, the best time to take it is before you’ve ovulated.”
The two main type of morning after pills are Levonorgestrel (Levonelle) oral tablet and the Ulipristal Acetate (ellaOne) tablet.
“Levonorgestrel (Levonelle) oral tablet works up to 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse (UPSI) and has a failure rate of 0.6 per cent to 2.6 per cent,” says Ms Michelle Swer, consultant gynaecologist at London Gynaecology. “This is commonly available over the counter through any pharmacy and works by delaying or preventing ovulation.
“Whereas, Ulipristal Acetate (ellaOne) is also an oral tablet and works up to 120 hours after UPSI. This also works by delaying or preventing ovulation. Failure rate is 1 per cent-2 per cent.”
Another type of emergency contraception that is often recommend is the copper intrauterine device (IUD).
“The IUD works up to 120 hours after UPSI or within five days of the earliest expected ovulation,” explains Swer. “This has the lowest failure rate (less than 1 per cent). It also gives ongoing contraception and works by preventing implantation. However, it is an invasive procedure and may not be readily available.”
Here are six common myths about the morning-after pill…
Myth 1: Taking emergency contraception affects fertility
“There is no evidence suggesting this,” says Swer. “The hormone used in the oral tablet is the same as the one used in the hormonal contraceptive pill and they are short-lasting.
“With regards to the coil, this is used as long-term contraception and has no impact on the hormones affecting your menstrual cycle.”
Myth 2: You can only take the emergency contraceptive pill once
“There is no risk in taking the emergency contraceptive pill more than once in the cycle or at any other time,” says Swer.
However, it is advised not to use the morning-after pill as a regular method of contraception since there are more effective ways of preventing pregnancy.
“If you’re relying on emergency contraception, you’re probably best to actually start looking at prevention, because the morning-after pill is not as effective as having contraception all the time,” says Ramskill. “So, we often recommend long-acting reversible contraception such as implants and the coil because their effectiveness doesn’t have to rely on the person to have to remember to take it.”
Myth 3: You can only get it prescribed by a GP
“There are a few different ways of getting emergency contraception,” says Ramskill. “Anyone one can go and speak to a private doctor, go to a pharmacy, order it online or go to a sexual health clinic.
“It’s best for people talk to a professional in person, so they can be assessed properly to make sure that they’re not on any other medications that could interfere with it and to make sure it’s the right kind of method for them.
“Most sexual health clinics also keep back emergency appointments and will often have one or two slots available for emergency coil fitting. So, another option is just to go to a walk-in sexual health clinic and get a coil so that you know you are properly covered.”
Myth 4: You will always get horrible side effects
“Most of the time, people are fine and experience no side effects, but occasionally people will vomit,” says Ramskill. “If somebody vomits and aren’t sure whether the pill has actually worked or not, they’re advised to then go back and get another one.”
Other potential side effects include a headache, nausea and period-like pain and cramping, according to the NHS website.
Myth 5: Taking the pill is the same as having a termination
“The emergency contraception prevents a pregnancy from happening but not stopping a pregnancy if already developed,” explains Swer. “The hormones used are not the same as the pill used in medical management of terminations.”
Myth 6: You can have further unprotected sex in the cycle once you have taken emergency contraception
“The oral emergency contraception only works from unprotected sex you have had and not future unprotected sexual encounters,” clarifies Swer. “You would need to consider taking a further tablet if this occurs again to ensure effectiveness. The coil if left will continue to act as contraception.”
