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

[christmaselfie1]

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?!

I’ve only ever taken it once but don’t remember being told anything about it other than that it might muck my period up (either make it earlier or later- or I guess really late or it didn’t work). I do remember learning about how they worked in sex Ed at school though, so was aware of how it worked.

In my Catholic school we learned it was an abortifant!

Maybe the myth/misunderstanding came about because people with a vested interest benefited from the idea that it acts after conception rather than before

I never knew this

Thank you for this thread OP. I’m sorry for your stress snd the difficult position you could be in but I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
I’ve taken the MAP once three years ago and wasn’t informed of this pretty major limitation.

Urgh.

I didn't know this until one morning frantically googling the MAP after a condom falling off.

Went to the pharmacist who didn't volunteer the information but when I asked did confirm that it would be "less effective" if I had ovulated and if that was the case I should look to get the copper coil fitted.

So I called my GP, they don't fit them, called the sexual health clinic to be told, very rudely, that I didn't qualify for an emergency department as I wasn't under 21 and if I had taken the MAP I would be fine. The only other option was a private clinic which I simply couldn't afford.

Thankfully, I didn't get pregnant but absolutely no fucker was interested in helping me NOT get pregnant when I categorically did not want to be.

I had to take it about 6wks ago (Levonelle I think) and although they pharmacist did explain how it worked it was all rather vague on whether it would be worthwhile. I track my periods so could give exact dates etc.
The mention of a coil was almost an afterthought too (he also didn't know if anyone was fitting them currently) and along the lines of "this is 95% effective, if not there's the coil..." but by the time you know if this has worked or not, it'll be too late for the coil...?!
I've only ever taken it twice in my life I think, and I'm sure the first time (10yrs ago) it brought on a period within 7 days? Whereas this time I was told my period would just arrive as normal... so I assumed maybe something had changed?

It’s also considerably less effective if you weigh over 10 stone. Another small print fact they don’t volunteer

www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/emergency-contraception/

The IUD can be fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex, or up to 5 days after the earliest time you could have ovulated, for it to be effective.

iud can be fitted 5 days after ovulation. So if you ovulated Thursday, you can still have iud fitted tomorrow.

If it helps, OP, you may well not have gotten an IUD fitting appointment in time anyway, as you only have 7 days and you were already at 4.

I'm trying to get one at the moment and have had to join a waiting list that they think will take until mid February for me to get to the top of.

You'd have had more of a chance but it doesn't necessarily follow that you'd have got an appointment in time. Particularly with days 5 and 6 being weekend days.

I’m a pharmacist. I no longer work in community so no longer give out the MAP but the lack of effectiveness after ovulation is definitely something that should be explained by the pharmacist. Personally I think it’s something worth complaining about to the pharmacist or their head office if it’s a large chain.

In defence of my profession some of the posters stories about not being told about this seem quite old. I keep all my CPD and I still have my original Levonelle training pack from 13/14 years ago. It states that it prevents ovulation, thins uterus lining preventing implantation and creates an inhospitable uterine environment. So anyone told this years ago by a HCP was being given the best information we had at the time. Research since then has discovered that preventing ovulation is really the only important mechanism of action to prevent pregnancy. Which probably explains the decrease in effectiveness if there is a delay taking it-more time for ovulation to have occurred. I’m not actually sure when the advice changed. But if you have been given it in the last few years you should have been told this. EllaOne is newer and I never did any training on this one.

I just felt I needed to defend any HCP who gave out the MAP many years ago they may have been giving the best advice at the time.

I agree now it should be more widely known, taught in sexual health classes and explained to anyone taking it.

I took it 18 years ago and the message then was that it delayed implantation. It was pretty much a 2 day course of strong, old type combined contraceptive. I spotted a pp who was told that there are 2 types available so maybe older posters remember rightly the difference between what they took and what us commonly prescribed, now.

@Waveysnail

www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/emergency-contraception/

The IUD can be fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex, or up to 5 days after the earliest time you could have ovulated, for it to be effective.

No where on tgat page does it say its ineffective post-ovulation.

This is really appalling. It's the NHS website, it should surely be made crystal clear.

I wasn't told this. Interesting to know, thank you OP.

I didn't have to pay for mine, but I'm in Wales and we don't pay for any prescriptions here so maybe that's why it was free. Shocked to hear people have to pay over £30 for it!

Thanks everyone for your comments, it’s made me feel better knowing that I am not the only one who was unaware of this. I am still experiencing back pains, but I’m not sure what this could be the result of; Ellaone, stress, pregnancy, pseudo symptoms because I am so worried.

I am going to update the thread in a few days once I have taken a pregnancy test.

I would recommend all women who do not want to become pregnant really consider their options before taking the MAP. I believed I was doing the right thing, that I had caught it in time because of the magical ‘5 day window’, only to discover that I’ve done as good as nothing.

Thanks for sharing this info @christmaselfie1. I really hope you get a negative test.

Good post Missannelliot, thank you for sharing your knowledge. Your post makes sense, and explains why so many of us (particularly those who took the MAP many years ago) have retained the belief that it prevents implantation. I’m not the type to just go by hearsay when it comes to medication so I’m quite certain that any understanding I had about the medication would have come directly from an HCP or from the leaflet.

Good luck OP 🤞

I did know this but even if you are in your peak fertile years (which you may not be as you mention taking map over 10 years) the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex is only 25%, so hopefully that'll be slightly reassuring Good luck

I had a split condom and took the morning after pill less than 24hrs after... My little boy is now 21 months old. 😂 x

@MinesAPintOfTea

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?

I wouldn’t have a clue when I ovulate.

I think the advice is poor. As there are some
Experts in here can anyone tell me if it is normal not to have a bleed after taking the map while still breastfeeding at night (5mpp) when periods still haven't come back. Thanks.

I’ve never taken the MAP but consider myself pretty well informed about contraception and conception in general. I had no idea about this, though! Thanks for sharing.

I never knew this - I thought it prevented the egg implanting. That's what the guidance used to say but to be fair I am going back 25-30 years.....