Morning After Pill

The morning after pill is a type of emergency contraception. You can use emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy if you’ve had unprotected sex or if your normal contraceptive has failed, like a condom splitting.

The morning after pill works by preventing ovulation and the fertilisation of an egg. There are 3 types of morning after pills available:

• ellaOne – the most effective morning after pill, which works up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex.
• Levonelle – a branded version of levonorgestrel, which works up to 3 days (72 hours) after unprotected sex.
• Generic levonorgestrel – a low-cost morning after pill which works up to 3 days (72 hours) after unprotected sex.

All morning after pills work in the same way. They can prevent pregnancy by:

• stopping or delaying ovulation, which is when your body releases an egg to be fertilised
• thickening the cervical mucus, making it difficult for sperm to enter your womb (uterus)
• thinning the lining of the uterus, so a pregnancy cannot develop if an egg does get fertilised

These 3 actions make it very unlikely that you’ll get pregnant.

Levonelle and generic levonorgestrel can be taken up to 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex. ellaOne can be taken up to 120 hours (5 days) after you have sex.

The morning after pill will only prevent pregnancy after you have unprotected sex. If you take it and then have unprotected sex again, you will be at risk of pregnancy.

If you have already ovulated, the morning after pill will not work. Ovulation usually happens in the middle of your menstrual cycle or around 10 to 16 days after your period. If you track your periods and know you’ve ovulated, the best emergency contraceptive to use is the copper coil. Your GP or local sexual health clinic can insert it up to 120 hours (5 days) after sex.

If you are already pregnant and take the morning after pill, it will not stop that pregnancy. It does not impact the developing foetus if you take it without realising that you are pregnant.

Emergency contraception does not protect you from catching an STI.

All morning after pills are effective when taken correctly and within the time frame, but studies show that ellaOne is slightly more effective. It can also be taken up to 5 days after sex.

The sooner you take any morning after pill, the more effective it is. For example,Levonelle and levonorgestrel are considered to be:

• 95% effective when taken within 24 hours
• 85% effective within 25 to 48 hours
• 58% effective when taken within 49 to 72 hours

ellaOne is 98% effective for up to 5 days, but is most likely to prevent pregnancy when taken as soon as possible.

Swallow the morning after pill whole with water as soon as possible after having unprotected sex. You can take it at any time of the day, with or without food.

Levonelle and levonorgestrel should be taken:

• as a single dose
• up to 72 hours (3 days) after sex.

It will be most effective if taken within 12 hours.

ellaOne should be taken:

• as a single dose
• up to 120 hours (5 days) after sex.

ellaOne is suitable if it is longer than 72 hours since you had sex.

If you vomit (are sick) or have diarrhoea within 3 hours of taking the pill, you need to take another pill to prevent pregnancy, as your body has not had enough time to absorb the medication. In some cases, if you vomit, you may need to have an intrauterine device (IUD) fitted. Speak to your doctor, pharmacist, or the sexual health clinic where you got the pill.

How often can you take the morning after pill?

You can take the morning after pill more than once in your menstrual cycle, but this can cause irregular periods and may increase the chance of getting side effects so it’s not recommended.

Using a regular form of contraception, such as the contraceptive pill or a copper IUD is a more reliable method of preventing pregnancy.

You can get the morning after pill from most pharmacies, GPs, sexual health clinics, and online.

Can I buy the morning after pill online?

Yes, you can buy the morning after pill from online pharmacies and doctor services. You can also buy the morning after pill safely and easily online. It’s important to only request emergency contraception online from trusted online services like ZAVA that are monitored and regulated to ensure you receive safe and genuine medication.

Getting the morning after pill online from ZAVA is quick and convenient, with no need for a face-to-face appointment, simply:

1. Complete a short online medical questionnaire – Share details about your health so our doctors can ensure emergency contraception is right for you.
2. Order and pay online – Sign in or create your ZAVA account, select the morning after pill, and securely make your payment.
3. Doctor review and approval – A UK-licensed doctor will check your health information and approve your request if the morning after pill is safe and appropriate for you.
4. Fast and discreet delivery – If approved, the morning after pill will be delivered discreetly to your home or a local post office for collection.

Can I get the morning after pill for free?

Yes, you can get the morning after pill for free from certain NHS services. These include:

• sexual health clinics
• selected pharmacies
• NHS walk-in centres
• GP surgeries

You’ll need to book an appointment or visit the centre or clinic in person to get the morning after pill. Your GP surgery may offer telephone appointments on the same day if you call first thing in the morning. If your doctor prescribes you the morning after pill, you will not need to pay for this prescription. All prescribed contraceptives are free on the NHS.

Can you get the morning after pill over the counter?

Yes, you can get both ellaOne and Levonelle over the counter from a pharmacist. They will usually ask you a few questions just to make sure the pill of your choice is suitable based on when you had unprotected sex and your medical history.

The morning after pill is safe for most women to take, including women who cannot take the combined contraceptive pill.

It is safe to take if you are already using contraceptives like the patch, ring, injection, or daily pill. However, you should speak to your doctor if you use any kind of hormonal contraception, as you may need to wait before taking your next dose.

You may be unsuitable for the morning after pill if you:

• have an allergy to any of the ingredients
• have severe asthma
• take medicines to treat HIV, epilepsy, or tuberculosis (TB)
• take St John’s wort, a herbal product
• take medications to lower stomach acid levels, like omeprazole
• are currently taking antibiotics called rifampicin and rifabutin
• are overweight or obese, as it can be significantly less effective depending on your weight

If the morning after pill is not suitable for you, such as if you have a high body weight, then the copper coil may be the most effective form of emergency contraception.

Which morning after pill is the best?

ellaOne is often considered the ‘best’ morning after pill as it is the most effective pill in preventing pregnancy. It is 98% effective in preventing pregnancy throughout the 120 hours you can take it. Levonelle and generic levonorgestrel are 84% effective if you take them within 72 hours.

However, as they contain different medicines, you may get different side effects from each medication. So what is best for one person might not be suitable for you.

What if I throw up after taking the morning after pill?

If you throw up within 3 hours of taking either ellaOne or Levonelle, you should take another tablet as soon as possible. The medication will not have been absorbed and will not be effective in preventing pregnancy.

Can I get pregnant after taking the morning after pill?

There is a very small chance that you can still get pregnant after taking the morning after pill. It will not work if you’ve already ovulated or are already pregnant. No contraceptive method is 100% effective, which means there’s always a risk of pregnancy after sex.

The morning after pill does not make you infertile. You’ll be able to try for a baby immediately after you take the pill but it may interfere with your next period and ovulation.

If you have unprotected sex after taking the morning after pill, you must use emergency contraception again if you want to prevent pregnancy.

Can I take my usual contraceptive pill at the same time?

You may have to wait to take your regular contraceptive pill after the morning after pill, and you may need to use additional contraception. It depends what type of morning after pill you’ve taken, and the contraceptive you’re on.

For example, if you take ellaOne, you must use condoms as well as take your regular contraceptive pill until you get your period. ellaOne can make normal contraceptive pills temporarily less effective. Always ask a healthcare professional for advice and read the patient information leaflet in your pack of pills.

How can you tell if the morning after pill worked?

You can only tell if the morning after pill worked when you get your next period. You should take a pregnancy test if your next period is more than 7 days late or you get pregnancy symptoms like nausea or irregular bleeding that last for longer than a few days after you took the pill.

Can I take the morning after pill while breastfeeding?

You can take the morning after pill while breastfeeding but you will have to wait after taking it before you can breastfeed again. This is because the active ingredient can be secreted into your breast milk.

For Levonelle and generic levonorgestrel, you should take the pill straight after feeding and have already expressed extra milk if possible. Then, avoid breastfeeding for at least 8 hours or bottle feed.

For ellaOne, there is not enough data on how the active ingredient can affect babies when breastfeeding. Because of this, it’s recommended to avoid breastfeeding for 1 week after taking it. During this week, express and discard your breast milk. You’ll need to express beforehand and bottle feed. If this doesn’t work for you, Levonelle or the copper coil may be a better option.

How soon after taking the morning after pill can I have sex?

You can have sex whenever you want after taking the morning after pill but if you have unprotected sex again, it won’t work to prevent that pregnancy. You’d need to take another morning after pill or make sure you use another form of contraception like condoms.

Can a man buy the morning after pill in the UK?

A man can buy the morning after pill in the UK on your behalf, but it’s up to the pharmacist or doctor whether they will allow it. Whether you get it from a clinic, pharmacy, or online, the healthcare professional providing the morning after pill needs to know who is taking the medication to make sure it’s safe and suitable. They also need your consent that you’re happy to take the pill and understand the pros and cons.

If you get the morning after pill with ZAVA, you only need to answer a few online questions about your health, without talking to anyone face-to-face. Men cannot buy the morning after pill from ZAVA.

Does the morning after pill cause weight gain?

No, there is no evidence the morning after pill causes weight. As it’s only 1 dose, it’s not likely to cause any long-term effects.

Can you drink alcohol after taking the morning after pill?

Yes, you can drink alcohol after taking either morning after pill. It won’t reduce its effectiveness, but be careful drinking too much after taking it. Vomiting within 3 hours means you’d need to take another dose. If you get any side effects after taking the morning after pill, we recommend avoiding alcohol or it may make you feel worse.