Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
LindaEllen · 21/12/2020 16:28

I've taken it twice in my life and both times I was asked when the unprotected sex had occurred (failed contraception, literally smack bang in the middle of the cycle both times, ha - just my luck) and he then explained to me why that mattered and what the pill did.

He also said that not everyone ovulates like clockwork, so he'd still offer a pill wherever they were in their cycle.

But yes, it was explained to me perfectly well both times, by two different pharmacists.

LindaEllen · 21/12/2020 16:28

@christmaselfie1

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.

Why did you have to pay? It's always been free from my pharmacy.
SmileyClare · 21/12/2020 16:28

Sorry you're in a bit of a state over this Op. Could you ring your local surgery and ask for a gp phone appointment to discuss your concerns? And see if anything else can be offered?

I'm a bit out of touch but don't some pregnancy tests detect very early? If you're less than ten weeks you can be prescribed a course of two abortion tablets to take at home. That will be a similar experience to a heavy period. You have choices here Flowers

ThornAmongstRoses · 21/12/2020 16:29

Another one here who the MAP failed for.

It wasn’t explained to me how it works, but nor did I ask. I simply knew it was a tablet you take after unprotected sex to try and prevent pregnancy, and so I took it.

Almostslimjim · 21/12/2020 16:33

@Angel2702

I thought it worked like the mini pill and also stop a fertilized egg being able to implant.
They used to think that but that theory has been debunked now and it is very ineffective at doing that. As is levonelle, which they thought was better at it.
Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:34

@ThornAmongstRoses

That was exactly my thoughts. It's only because I've started to get back pains today (similar to my last two pregnancies), that I googled it and found the information relating to ovulation.

There is nothing that can be done now as I am too late for the IUD. I need to wait another few days until I can take an early detection test. I am just very upset that I was told 'take this up to 5 days after to prevent pregnancy', with no information about the ineffectiveness post ovulation.

OP posts:
mouldygrapes · 21/12/2020 16:35

Sexual health doctor. It definitely wasn’t “realised last year” that the MAP works by delaying ovulation and therefore may be ineffective if given after ovulation (I say “may be” as not every episode of unprotected sex will result in pregnancy, even around the time of ovulation although of course it’s higher risk). This is the mechanism of action and that has been known since the drugs were developed.
If we prescribe the MAP (either levonelle or ella one) we discuss this with patients and counsel those who are likely to be nearer ovulation that it is likely to be less effective. Everyone should be offered an IUD if still within the window for fitting it but not many people opt for that.

Yes, the pharmacist should counsel about this too, also that your next period may be effected (could be early, late, shorter, lighter) and that if you’ve taken ella one you can’t take any other hormones within the next 5 days as they won’t be effective

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:37

@mouldygrapes I was told none of this.

OP posts:
Kaliorphic · 21/12/2020 16:37

I didn't know this. It wasn't explained to me by anyone. I don't recall reading it on the information packaging either. It explains why it failed for me 15 years ago though.

Heffle · 21/12/2020 16:39

I’ve never been told either OP and was unlucky enough to fall pregnant after taking it. I learnt it after that- to be fair it does say in the leaflet, and I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often to be honest.

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:41

I should have paid more attention to the leaflet, but the pharmacist said it's effective for 5 days after unprotected sex and I was taking it after 4 days... I've now come to learn that I might as well have not taken anything Sad

OP posts:
InkieNecro · 21/12/2020 16:43

It was levonelle, not EllaOne. It also cost me £20, it has never been free from pharmacies as far as my experience goes, only from the FPC.

Also some pharmacists clearly do tell people how it works, mine didn't. He asked when I had sex and confirmed I could take it while breastfeeding and that was it.

Keha · 21/12/2020 16:43

It was about 10 years ago when I had it and it wasn't explained to me. I found out from a thread on Mumsnet a year or so ago

Scarydinosaurs · 21/12/2020 16:46

I feel awfully sad for you, but I think you have a responsibility to read the leaflet you’ve been told to read. And to research the options beforehand.

NoProblem123 · 21/12/2020 16:46

My MAP Levonelle failure has just eaten all my liqueurs Grin

cologne4711 · 21/12/2020 16:48

I didn't know this. So it works by preventing ovulation? Well then it only works within a very short time-frame anyway. I realise if you have irregular periods you don't necessarily know if you have or about to ovulate(d) but if it was a week ago the chances of (a) getting pregnant but also (b) the MAP working are very small indeed.

I thought it prevented implantation.

Now that I do know that, I wonder why there is any ethical concern about the MAP at all if it stops ovulation. If there's no egg released, there can't be a baby in any form and it's not really any different from using a barrier method to prevent the egg and sperm meeting and fusing. Other than the fact it's not great to use it on a regular basis, but that's a medical concern, not an ethical one.

pinkbalconyrailing · 21/12/2020 16:49

@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 Hmm

but many women do not know when they ovulate. unless you are ttc why would you?
baffledcoconut · 21/12/2020 16:49

I only found out about this when I got a positive pregnancy test. The pharmacist didn’t ask any questions at all.

Hey ho. My little monster is quite sweet so perhaps it wasn’t so bad.

Almostslimjim · 21/12/2020 16:50

but many women do not know when they ovulate.
unless you are ttc why would you?

which is why the prescriber should 'counsel' those they prescribe it for, including questions regarding cycle length and last period.

museumum · 21/12/2020 16:51

I took it back in 2001/2 ish when you had to get it from a doc and i'm afraid it didn't work. Burst / slipped condom Friday night, GP appointment and pill taken Monday. Had a termination in the end (was a very young student with no intention of having a baby at that stage if ever).

FitterHappierMoreProductive · 21/12/2020 16:53

Can’t believe the majority think it’s unreasonable to suggest women should be told how the MAP works before they buy it! In what world is that unreasonable?

Original poster
christmaselfie1 · 21/12/2020 16:57

I get very heavy discharge when I ovulate, so even if I wasn't tracking my cycle on my doctors advice I would have known... incidentally I had the discharge on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week so I know for certain that the 'delay in ovulation' will not have worked.

I think women should be told that if they have already ovulated then they will need an IUD. Even if most women may not know when they ovulate, we should still be armed with the facts! Otherwise you will get many women thinking they have prevented a pregnancy by taking the MAP, only to find they are pregnant!

OP posts:
jessstan1 · 21/12/2020 16:57

I think most women are aware of what the morning after pill can and cannot achieve.

MRC20 · 21/12/2020 17:01

I was told it's only effective in the 48 hours after sex. Admittedly this was years ago so am sure the drugs have come a long way since I took it.

Diddlysquatty · 21/12/2020 17:05

I didn’t know this
Means I’ve had a couple of close shaves then
I also spent time questioning myself about it as I thought it could stop a pregnancy after the egg had fertilised and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that

Swipe left for the next trending thread