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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think women should be told this about the morning after pill?

380 replies

christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 15:52

The morning after pill is directly linked to ovulation, and if you have already ovulated then it is pretty much pointless!

I had sex where the condom split on Monday last week, but due to covid restrictions and living rurally I was not able to get the morning after pill until Friday (4 days after sex). I have taken Ellaone before, the brand that you can take up to 5 days after, so assumed that all would be okay. I am also tracking my cycles on the instruction of my gynaecologist because I suffer with ovarian cysts.

I got my LH surge and a positive ovulation test on Wednesday morning, which means ovulation would have occurred imminently, most likely well before I took the morning after pill on Friday evening!

Since researching, I have discovered that the morning after pill works by delaying or preventing ovulation. Therefore, if you have already ovulated, and the sperm happened to meet the egg in that time, the morning after pill has pretty much zero effect! You can read it yourself on the manufacturers website...

www.ellaone.co.uk/faqs/does-ellaone-work-if-youve-already-ovulated

I have taken the morning after pill three times and I have never been told this by any pharmacist. I have never been informed on how it works, just that is it effective up to 5 days after unprotected sex. The only emergency contraception that works in these circumstances is the IUD. I have now got the worry for the next week that I might be pregnant.

Am I the only person that had no idea how the morning after pill works?!

OP posts:
startrek90 · 21/12/2020 16:00

I have taken the morning after pill nd this was explained to me.

minnie465 · 21/12/2020 16:01

I thought this was common knowledge...

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:03

I have never been told this on any occasion when I went to get the morning after pill.

The only thing that I was asked this time is when the unprotected sex occurred and that Ellaone is effective up to 5 days after! That was the extent of the information that was given to me.

OP posts:
Orf1abc · 21/12/2020 16:04

Pretty sure it tells you this in the leaflet.

MayDayHelp · 21/12/2020 16:08

It seems to be pretty recently that they’ve cottoned on to this. I had read it and when I needed the MAP after a contraception failure on the day of ovulation, I phoned the doctor who argued with me, and got quite shirty with me, saying it would still be effective. And then phoned me back later with his tail between his legs saying actually I was right and it wouldn’t work. I had to get a copper coil fitted as emergency contraception.

MayDayHelp · 21/12/2020 16:09

Sorry meant to say that was December last year so quite recently.

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:09

I've got the leaflet in front of me and to be fair, it does say 'this medicine works by postponing ovulation.'

Surely the pharmacist should have informed me of this when I bought the medication, that if I'd already ovulated I would need an IUD fitted. Otherwise I wouldn't have wasted £35 or taken it.

OP posts:
Angel2702 · 21/12/2020 16:10

I thought it worked like the mini pill and also stop a fertilized egg being able to implant.

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:10

@MayDayHelp I am now too late to have the IUD fitted Sad

OP posts:
Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 21/12/2020 16:10

I did not know this!!!!!

It must be fairly ineffective surely?

I know a few people for whom it failed completely

onlythepianoplayer · 21/12/2020 16:10

You expect the pharmacist to explain to you in detail how it works....rather than just reading the bloody leaflet it comes with?
FFS.

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:11

@Angel2702 Nope! It doesn't stop the off from being able to implant. You can read that on the ellaone website! It's purpose is to prevent or stop ovulation, if you have already ovulated then it does nothing. The only thing that can prevent pregnancy from that point is the IUD.

OP posts:
YouBoughtMeAWall · 21/12/2020 16:12

@Angel2702

I thought it worked like the mini pill and also stop a fertilized egg being able to implant.
I thought this too.
Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:13

Yes, I expect them to explain given that they take you into a separate room to discuss it with you!

'Just so you know, this medicine won't be effective in preventing a pregnancy if you've already ovulated, you will need an IUD.'

OP posts:
MinesAPintOfTea · 21/12/2020 16:13

MAP is much easier than a copper coil, and how many women who aren’t trying to get pregnant or using NFP know when they ovulate? Other than a vague idea?

Unicornflakegirl · 21/12/2020 16:14

You can't afford to assume, read what you're putting into your body and how it works and the side effects.

When I was at uni (quite some time ago) you could just buy the morning after pill, you don't have to get a doctor's appointment, in case you didn't know that if it happens again.

YouBoughtMeAWall · 21/12/2020 16:15

@onlythepianoplayer

You expect the pharmacist to explain to you in detail how it works....rather than just reading the bloody leaflet it comes with? FFS.
Yes I would because it’s literally the difference between new life and not new life. It’s not of little consequence! So yes- someone taking it should have it explicitly pointed out that it will be ineffective if ovulation has already occurred. Not everyone that takes the MAP is capably of reading the information leaflet.
BillysMyBunny · 21/12/2020 16:15

I think if you’re buying an iced-the-counter medication at the pharmacist they generally assume you have already read up on what it is and how it works. I wouldn’t expect a pharmacist to go through the details unless you made it clear you didn’t understand what you were taking or how it would work. If you’ve taken it several times before they probably assumed you understand how it works.

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:16

Ellaone isn't over the counter. They have to discuss it with you and take you into a separate room to prescribe it.

OP posts:
SmileyClare · 21/12/2020 16:17

Are you able to use a more long term contraceptive method Op? Taking the MAP four times is quite a lot and its not a pleasant emergency contraceptive, I felt nauseous, had diarrhoea and irregular bleeding afterwards, and felt quite ill.

The chances are you're likely not pregnant. A split condom will have provided some barrier. I hope you don't spend the next few weeks worrying about this. Good luck Flowers

HermosaMain · 21/12/2020 16:19

I think it was realised last year. There were threads on here about it at that time (I'm not saying you should have seen them) with people having similar results to Mayday.

So maybe it's not filtered down to all pharmacists yet.

Pukkatea · 21/12/2020 16:20

I think considering you often have to answer questions about weight, bp, pregnancy history etc to get the morning after pill, it would be useful if they could reciprocate a bit of info that by the way, this doesn't actually work for half of the month.

Pharmacists and GPs spend years studying the use of medicines, what's the point if we are all just supposed to read the leaflet...

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:22

I've taken it 3 times in 10 years. And I've got zero ill effects from taking it, most likely because I have already ovulated so it is doing naff all!

I am already panicking as I am now too late to have the IUD fitted, and the sex occurred 2-3 days before ovulation so it would have been the ideal time for pregnancy to occur. I wish I had been informed about this at the point of purchasing Ellaone. I am also concerned that if I am pregnant, I may have done something to harm the developing fetus!!

OP posts:
InkieNecro · 21/12/2020 16:23

I didn't know, until I got a positive pregnancy test. I also thought it worked by preventing implantation because there is no caveat when it says 'can be taken up to x hours after unprotected sex'. Should add 'unless you have already ovulated'.

My MAP failure is currently sitting on me, fiddling with a pop up book and asking to wear his wellies in the bath Hmm

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:26

@InkieNecro Was it ellaone you took?

I really think they should be informing you of this when you go to get the pill.

OP posts: