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?!

@Howzaboutye

Get a coil fitted. That will work.

🤣 tell that to my friend who's mum had the coil in. He might disagree.

@oiwotaluvlyday

Don't try and blame the pharmacist. If you are so clued up about when you ovulate why did you have unprotected sex at your most fertile time? Condoms are available even in rural locations.

Exactly. Or withdraw!

Shes literally said so many times it wasnt unprotected!

@littleyell withdrawal is the most useless advice. You can not rely on withdrawal.

@shas19 if I found condoms were splitting more than once. I would be suggesting my partner withdraws!

TBH, I'm more concerned that you've had the morning after pill three times. It's not really designed to be used so much. It sounds like you need to consider a back up from of contraception.

I’ve taken it twice. The first time about 20 years ago and the second about 3/4 years ago following condom failures. Both occasions I saw my GP I was told by both GP’s it prevented implantation by causing the uterine lining to become inhabitable by a fertilised egg. This really is quite shocking. A total failure by the medical profession. Plus, if you are relying on data from the information sheet provided you need to have already spoke to a GP or pharmacist and paid for the drug before you can read it. Once you are supplied the correct information you can’t then return the emergency contraceptive as it illegal for pharmacists to refund and or reuse returned drugs. Drugs returned are doope’d. So a wonderful waste of time and money. Not to mention possibly finding a method that would be more appropriate. All I can say is good luck op. I’m glad you will be updating us. I will keep a look out for your update. Have you thought about what to do going forward from this? Take your time, don’t do anything until you are 100% sure it’s what you want. Would you and dp like more children?

@InkieNecro

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

Bless you! I hope you let him wear the wellies in the bath ... great childhood memory! Hope you have a great Christmas with him despite all the sh*t that's been going on this year.

As a pharmacist I always explain this. I often find male pharmacists do not.

@christmaselfie1

I did know that they work by delaying ovulation so pointless if you've already ovulated. However your chances of finding someone to fit you with a copper IUD during a pandemic were pretty much zero to be honest.

Most women have absolutely no idea what ovulation is or even the length of their cycle. A 5 to 10 minute consultation is not long enough to teach someone gcse biology. When asked how long their cycle is many women will respond with the length of their period eg. 5 days. You have to provide them with non judgemental, accurate advice.

Ella one was licensed in the uk in 2009 so any posters who used the map before then would have had levonelle. Levonelle works by delaying ovulation and if an egg has already been released prevents it from meeting sperm (it increases the thickness of cervical mucus which helps create a barrier between the egg and sperm). It is most effective within the first 12 hours and then decreases.

Ella one acts differently and it primarily works by delaying ovulation. Most women have no idea when they ovulate and it can be earlier or later some months. If you present at a chemist three days after a contraception failure or unprotected sex you would most likely be supplied with Ella one or referred to go get an iud from a gp practice or family planning clinic. You have to consider which is most appropriate and if it is over a weekend whether the women will realistically be able to get an iud (especially during covid).

Some pharmacies have a programme in place which will allow you to obtain either morning after pill free of charge. I am in Scotland and it is more recently in my area that we have been able to give Ella one with the idea being not to disadvantage poorer women and those that would struggle to get to a clinic for an iud fitting. This will vary in each area and whether the pharmacist is able to provide the service free of charge, if they have not done the sufficient training they won't be able to provide it free of charge and the patient would pay, questions would need to be asked of course but it is not as in depth a process as a consultation.

Everyone should be told how the different morning after pills work and if you have not been should ask!

Also people should take responsibility for their own sexual health, no contraceptive method is 100% foolproof and nether is either of the morning after pills. An Iud is a much more effective method but not the easiest to access!

Shame it sounds like you can't take Mirena. It's life changing.

Did not know this! I've obviously been lucky then the 2 times I've needed it. Hoping you get the outcome you'd like OP

@Sceptre86

I wouldn't expect a GCSE biology lesson. I would expect it to be mentioned, 'Ellaone is 99% effective, but if you have ovulated (where your body releases the egg), it will not be effective at all. It can be difficult to tell if you have ovulated, so I can give you this pill. I would also recommend you seek consultation about an IUD.'

There are a large proportion of women who do know basic biology and their menstrual cycle, so for me it would have been very useful to have been told. I probably wouldn't have been able to get an IUD fitted in time, but at least I wouldn't have:

1. Had the added stress of feeling like I'd prevented a pregnancy, only to find out I hadn't at all!
2. Taken medication that was whole unnecessary.
3. Wasted £35.

[quote christmaselfie1]@Sceptre86

I wouldn't expect a GCSE biology lesson. I would expect it to be mentioned, 'Ellaone is 99% effective, but if you have ovulated (where your body releases the egg), it will not be effective at all. It can be difficult to tell if you have ovulated, so I can give you this pill. I would also recommend you seek consultation about an IUD.'

There are a large proportion of women who do know basic biology and their menstrual cycle, so for me it would have been very useful to have been told. I probably wouldn't have been able to get an IUD fitted in time, but at least I wouldn't have:

1. Had the added stress of feeling like I'd prevented a pregnancy, only to find out I hadn't at all!
2. Taken medication that was whole unnecessary.
3. Wasted £35.[/quote]

Totally agree op

If it makes you feel better op, nothing suggests that any harm comes from taking the MAP while pregnant. It's just wholly ineffective.
I hope you're ok.

As a pharmacist I always explain how both types of EHCs work (delay ovulation) and that the coil is the most effective form of emergency contraceptive and that it can be used either up to five day post intercourse or up to five days post ovulation. We work closely with our local sexual health and contraception clinics and , on their advice, always encourage woman to take the pill regardless of where they are in cycle. ( This is due to the fact that many women decide not to book a coil fitting so at least taking the tablet might work if they haven’t ovulated) I always reassure my patients too that it is more likely that they won’t get pregnant rather than they will following a contraceptive failure. Hope everything works out for you OP and sorry that you didn’t get the full information.

It's in the consultation documents for supplying EHC free of charge in Wales. There's a form you have to work through.

@HooverWhenTheCoastIsClear

Thank you. I am feeling ok. I just want to go to the weekend so I can take a pregnancy test to be honest, I'm not going to be able to enjoy Christmas day with this hanging over me. I wish I could just have my mind put at ease. I've also read that there is no evidence that MAPS effect pregnancies so that is making me feel better. I am not sure how I'd feel about abortion.

[quote christmaselfie1]@HooverWhenTheCoastIsClear

Thank you. I am feeling ok. I just want to go to the weekend so I can take a pregnancy test to be honest, I'm not going to be able to enjoy Christmas day with this hanging over me. I wish I could just have my mind put at ease. I've also read that there is no evidence that MAPS effect pregnancies so that is making me feel better. I am not sure how I'd feel about abortion.[/quote]
First response are really good for early detection.
I'm sure you're already aware of that.
I hope it works out for you.
At least you've brought awareness of the issue to a lot of people.

Yes and everyone who reads this will probably mention it to other people so that’s potentially a ton of women who wouldn’t otherwise know.

Wishing you all the best OP

I had no idea. I took it in France, more than 10 years ago, and both times I needed it was not explained to me.

The pharmacist told me it was only 75% effective. Think they make their own information up as they go along. I also thought and had been previously told that it stopped an egg implanting. Obviously it doesn’t! x

I wasn't aware of this, I didn't feel the need to research it because the PHARMACIST told me it stops the egg attaching. So clearly even they don't understand how it works.

@Shhimtryingtosleep There is SO much misinformation around about this medication. I've asked some of my female family and friends about this and not a single one knew this.