Morning After Pill

What is the morning after pill?

The morning after pill is a form of emergency contraception. It is a single tablet that is prescribed after unprotected sex to stop pregnancy from occurring. There are two emergency contraception pills available in the UK, and Medicine Direct sell both. Levonelle 1500 is one of three morning after pills and contains a man-made version of progesterone, which is a natural hormone made by the ovaries. Levonelle 1500 is also available in a generic version, Levonorgestrel which is an effective morning after pill. It stops or delays the release of the egg, meaning that ovulation does not occur and therefore pregnancy does not occur. ellaOne is also a comonly used morning after pill and contains ulipristal acetate, which stops the same natural hormone, progesterone, from working as it should. As with Levonelle, it stops or delays the release of the egg and ovulation does not occur.

How the morning after pill works

The emergency contraceptive pill works by stopping the release of the egg. This means that the sperm cannot reach the egg and ovulation cannot take place. However, if ovulation has already occurred, the pill will not be effective.

The morning after pill is 95% effective when taken within 24 hours after having unprotected sex. Taking the contraception pill between 24 and 48 hours after having unprotected will be 85% effective; when taken between 48 and 72 hours after, it is 58% effective. For this reason, you should aim to take the morning after pill as soon as you possibly can after having sexual intercourse; the sooner you take it, the more effective it will be.

When you should use the morning after pill

The morning after pill is most effective when taken immediately after unprotected sex. It becomes less effective as time goes on. Levonelle must be taken within 3 days, or 72 hours, of unprotected sex. ellaOne must be taken within 5 days, or 120 hours, after unprotected sex. No emergency contraceptive is 100% effective; however, the pill can be up to 95% effective in preventing pregnancy if taken as soon as possible.

STIs and the morning after pill

Please note that, while the emergency contraceptive pill can help to prevent pregnancy, it cannot protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). To protect yourself from STIs, you will still need to use a condom when you have sex.

If you have had unprotected sex and fear you may have a sexually transmitted infection, you should speak to your doctor as soon as possible after having sex. Alternatively, you can visit a sexual health clinic and speak to a nurse about your STI symptoms or concerns.

Medicine Direct sells various treatments for the likes of gonorrhoea and genital warts. If you are suffering from these infections, you can purchase treatment from our online pharmacy following an online consultation with one of our doctors. All of our doctors are registered with the General Medical Council, meaning they are legally qualified to prescribe medicine just like your local GP.

Side effects of the morning after pill

The morning after pill’s side effects are likely to be different for everyone. Some may not experience any at all, but others may experience some of the following:

• Pain in the abdomen
• Vomiting (your doctor may also prescribe you with Cyclizine Hydrochloride, an anti-sickness medicine should the vomiting and nausea persist)
• Dizziness
• Increase in breast size
• Abrupt weight loss or weight gain
• Abrupt mood swings
• Disturbed menstrual cycle

The morning after pill should not be used in place of your normal contraceptive pill, such as the IUD or the pill. ellaOne can cause negative side effects if taken regularly, as this would be an overdose of the recommended safe amount. Therefore, women are advised to switch to other contraception pills.

What morning after pills are available?

There are two morning after pills available in the UK; Levonelle and ellaOne.

ellaOne must be taken within 5 days, or 120 hours, after having unprotected sex, though is it more effective the sooner it is taken. It works by preventing egg release during the ovulation period. Just as the contraceptive pill prevents the ovaries from releasing the egg, in turn preventing pregnancy, ellaOne works in the same way. It comes as one 30mg dose. Medicine Direct sells packs of one, two and three tablets. One tablet costs £29.99. The average price for one ellaOne tablet on the UK high street is £35.

Levonelle must be taken within 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex, though is it more effective the sooner it is taken. It works just the same as ellaOne; by preventing egg release during the ovulation period. Levonelle comes as one 1.5mg dose. Medicine Direct sells packs of one tablet of 1.5mg. The Levonelle morning after pill cost is £25.00 from Medicine Direct.

Where can I get the morning after pill from?

Emergency contraception pills can be bought from certain pharmacies after speaking to the pharmacist. Contraception clinics, sexual health or GUM clinics, or your local GP are other options.

You can buy the morning after pill from Medicine Direct following an online consultation with one of our registered doctors. Simply fill out our online questionnaire and one of our doctors will prescribe you the most appropriate emergency contraception for your needs.

If you order by 2pm, we can offer you free next day delivery, so whether your emergency contraceptive pill needs to be taken within 72 hours or 120 hours, you will have plenty of time to take it.