To think the MAP won’t help?

[MayDayHelp]

I had an incident with a split condom earlier today and initially thought I’d just get the MAP. However I’ve just checked my cycle app and today is my ovulation day 😱.

From what I’ve read online, the MAP pill won’t work if ovulation has already happened or is about to happen. It said something about getting a copper coil but there’s no chance of that as there’s nowhere anywhere nearby that fits coils, and the places further away always have massive waiting lists (I know from previous experience when I wanted a coil fitted).

Help! What are my options?

A pregnancy would be very bad. I wouldn’t be able to keep it.

He needs to be told the guidance has changed.

If an unplanned pregnancy would be terrible for you then I would be getting other advice - can you phone the sexual health service for advice? is there another GP at the practice you can speak to? Or a practice nurse / pharmacist?

40 miles seems a long way to have to travel - are you sure there is nothing nearer?

I have phoned the sexual health service and just got an answer phone so I left a message and haven’t had a call back yet.

Yes that’s definitely the only place where I could get a coil fitted if the GP won’t help. The joys of rural living!

Shocking that a GP doesn’t know when the MAP isn’t effective!

Another little known fact: the MAP sometimes doesn’t work on women with a high BMI. Nobody ever tells you this.

Good luck OP.

It is shocking. He was adamant he was right, and my most local clinic (at the community hospital) said they’d never heard that it wouldn’t be effective after ovulation either. As well as NHS direct. Yet the pharmacist was sure there was no point in taking it.

^ I listened to a women’s hour episode about this very subject. It’s terrible medical professionals are so ill informed about this.

How are you doing OP?

I tried for 18 months for my first DD, 6 months for my second & then fell with my third after taking the MAP. We'd had sexual the day before, as I had thought I'd ovulated. It became very obvious the next day that I hadn't yet ovulated!! So off to Boots I trotted, told the pharmacist the above & he said nothing about it not being effective after ovulation. I assumed it was mostly a dead cert that it worked.

It became apparent apparent 3 weeks later that was not the case!! Thankfully, our situation was one that we had bed trying to decide on a 3rd or not & this made our minds up lol.

Let's hope you will be one of the ones where it just works out fine & no pregnancy🤞🏼 xx

Well I spoke to my county’s contraceptive and sexual health services and they confirmed that the pharmacist was right and that the pill was unlikely to work. They have booked me in for a coil fitting tomorrow.

I phoned the GP back and left a message saying what the specialist service had said, and later that afternoon got a very apologetic call from the GP saying he had had no idea that the guidelines had changed but indeed they had, and I was right. I took the pill anyway as I was advised to by the contraceptive service, that was done yesterday.

Slightly bricking it about the coil fitting tomorrow, I have only had one coil before and I was under a GA at the time, and I’ve heard it can be really painful. I’m also really sensitive to metal jewellery including copper, so I hope it’s not going to cause me problems.

It isn't fun, but compared to child birth a breeze! Take some pain relief before you go, it will help with the discomfort.

Most MAP isn't effected if you are ovulating. I fell pregnant after taking the map. Ended in miscarriage unfortunately but the pharmacist new that and still sold me it knowing I was ovulating. When I went back to say I'd had a positive test and taken the map he told me it would either be a healthy pregnancy or miscarriage.

There is some that are though I think. Best to speak to GP x

I had exactly the same situation as you. I took the MAP anyway even though it was mostly pointless.

My GP doesnt fit coils and the GUM clinic were rude and sneary and told me the MAP should work and there would be no way they could see me for an emergency appointment for a coil but if I wanted one I could make an appointment for 7 weeks time

The next nearest sexual health clinic is 64 miles away and I work so couldn't even consider going there.

As it worked out, my period came as normal THANK GOD but its a rubbish situation.

Well coil is now done, it was actually completely fine! Took some heavy duty painkillers and didn’t feel a thing. So belt and braces are in place, thank god for the NHS!

Take the MAP. If it is going to be effective, it is most effective early on. Then go and get to a family planning clinic to see can you get a coil and cover all your bases.