The morning after pill is a powerful way to stay in control of your body when you have unexpectedly had unprotected sex, or when you think that your usual contraception has failed.
Like all medication, it is important to know as much as you can about the treatment before taking it.
Here is a list of benefits and drawbacks for using the morning after pill, to help you make an informed decision about whether it is the correct choice for you.
Pros:
Reliable contraception – If you take emergency pill within 5 days of contraceptive failure or unprotected sex, it is 95% effective for preventing pregnancies, while other emergency contraceptives effectiveness drops over time, and after 3 days it is only about 58% successful.
Convenient – You can buy the morning after pill in advance, so that you always have it on hand if you need it. You might want to buy some emergency contraception if you are going on holiday, or if you do not have easy access to it.
No serious side effects – While there are some morning after pill side effects that you may experience, none of them are considered “severe” by the NHS.
Simple dose – Taking the morning after pill is as simple as it sounds: you take one or two pills and you are done, and many women wo not even experience any emergency contraception side effects.
Not harmful to foetuses – If the emergency pill does not work and you become pregnant, there is no evidence that it will affect your baby.
Cons:
Morning after pill side effects – The morning after pill does sometimes have unwanted side effects, but none of these are considered severe.
Effective for a limited time – If it is been more than 5 days since you had unprotected sex or your contraception failed, there is no reason for you to take the morning after pill.
Only protects against pregnancy – It is not really a negative point, but there are certainly some misconceptions about this. To be clear, the morning after pill does not protect you from STIs, so if you have had unprotected sex you should still have an STI check-up even if you take emergency contraception.
Vomiting – If you vomit within 3 hours of taking the morning after pill, you will need to take another dose.
Not all women are suitable to take the morning after pill
The morning after pill is not suitable for some women. If you are not sure whether you should take the emergency contraception, speak to your doctor. People who are not suitable for the morning after pill include:
- Women who require emergency contraception immediately. This is because there will be a delay in purchasing the emergecy pill and during this time you could become pregnant.
- Women with liver problems or gut absorption problems.
- Women who take medicines to treat epilepsy.
