Mums saying NO to morning after pill shame

[Miranda5678]

Has anyone heard of the MyMorningAfter campaign? For the first time a morning after pill is being advertised on mainstream TV and in the cinema. They are getting women to share their experiences of emergency contraception and being made to feel ashamed by it – like this one by a mum who already had one child and was NOT ready for another www.mymorningafter.co.uk/i-took-the-morning-after-pill-when-i-was-36

What do people think? Personally I think it's amazing that such a movement is happening – getting the morning after pill always felt such an isolating ordeal for me. Interested to hear peoples thoughts

FeministCat levonorgestrel is a type of synthetic progestogen that is indeed used for birth control and emergency contraception. Mifepristone is a slightly different class of medication (same class as ulipristal that is in EllaOne) that isn't used as EC.

I've thankfully never felt judged when getting the MAP. I do wish it was more accessible for free though. It's a shame sexual health clinic provision has been decimated.

I've had it twice. Once in the sexual health clinic for free and once paid for it in boots.
Both times I was asked questions. The clinic was awful, they really gave me a stern talking to and even commented on some old self harm scars I had... they tried to push the coil on me, which I didnt want.. I felt like a criminal.
The pharmacist in boots was really lovely. He just took me in the consultation room, asked me when my last period was and why I wanted the map. He just accepted my answers and then sold it to me. No banging on like the world was ending. It was deffo worth 20 quid to avoid all that awful chat.

Not that I agree with being able to buy viagra over the counter (it can be scary stuff!), I will say that you can't 'just buy it' either. It can only be sold to the patient (not their representative) after a consultation with the pharmacist to make sure they're suitable. If it's ok they're given a slip that they can show at pharmacies to buy it without the consultation for the next 6 months (this slip can't be given to their representative still) until they're re-assessed for suitability.

Whilst they're not questioned every time, I don't think it's quite the same as being questioned for EC. Even with the same person, circumstances surrounding the unprotected sex can mean what was suitable previously may not be this time around.

And FWIW I've only had it twice in my life (I'm 30) both times it was because of condom splitting and I was in long term relationships..... so I do not for the life of me see why they had to have such a stern chat with me like I was some kind of raging idiot.
I dont like using hormonal contraception long term and I felt massively judged for that...they really really tried quite aggressively to get me to make an appointment to have an IUD and I even left with a box of contraceptive pills that I was never going to take just to shut them up and get out of there.

It's free round here, I've taken it twice and fully expected to pay but was told not to worry

This is why it needs to be on the shelf. There are no circumstances where Levonelle is unsafe, merely Ed it may be less effective eg if you are taking epilepsy meds or it is more than 72 hours, but if you are pregnant it can’t affect that. It just doesn’t need gatekeeping in this way and it puts women off using it.

there are no circumstances in which levonelle is unsafe

I'm sorry but noone should say this about ANY drug especially when it's false. I completely understand about people wanting it to be more freely available but it's not good to purposely ignore potential risks.

For example, the risk of ectopic pregnancy in some women, the risk of ciclosporin toxity if taken with MAP.

There's no absolute contraindications but there are situations in which we need to be cautious. They does not mean 'there are no situations in which it is unsafe'

Sorry but it is widely accepted now that map reduces the risk of ectopic pregnancy by reducing the risk of pregnancy. Map is far safer with far fewer contraindications than many things in the shelf, and the risk of pregnancy is a far greater risk for women with certain health conditions. This is why it is on the shelf in many countries and available to buy without consultation.

That's like saying MAP reduces child abuse because it reduces children ffs.

If a woman has a higher risk factor for ectopic pregnancy MAP should be used with caution. I'm not arguing about this, it takes literally 2 seconds to find resources on this. It is dangerous for people to come out with comments like there are no circumstances when levonelle is unsafe when it just isn't true and to be honest is so easily reputable it makes arguments for easier access easier to attack and demean.

What an absurd thing to say.
Here you go.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3903002/

It's not absurd. Of course it reduces the risk of ectopics if it reduces pregnancy ffs. It reduces the chance of miscarriage and still born with that logic too.

The issue is that for those women with risk factors caution must be taken. Therefore is isn't completely safe like you we saying. My issue was you making dangerous claims that can be easily refuted. If we want MAP to be more accessible we need to avoid untruths that can make us look stupid when they're easily refuted.

I would guess that unlike Viagra it could be abused by someone who is obtaining it for someone who is abused/trafficked/very underage.

So can plenty of other drugs - this one would be at least beneficial for that abused woman.

It's interesting reading that the side-effects I had were rare (horrible - I felt sick for days, my periods didn't settle for 3 months). Perhaps that's why I don't understand this idea that women would abuse it, because I can't imagine anyone's going to go through taking it just to avoid standard contraception.

I have never needed the MAP but I've had medication reviews with pharmacists who've been quite bossy. Maybe more training is needed.

Viagra gets abused doesn't it? I read some men slip it to their partners in the hope it makes them frisky

Mifepristone is a slightly different class of medication (same class as ulipristal that is in EllaOne) that isn't used as EC.

Yes, that was my very point. I know what the difference is, that is why I explained what MAP is and asked what the poster I was responding to was referring to.

FeministCat apologies, I was confused by the what you were asking as the previous poster didn't mention misoprostol.