Why you shouldn’t use your plan B as your plan A
Condoms, contraceptive pills and more – there’s lots of choice when it comes to contraception. But, if your normal contraception fails, there are forms of emergency contraception available.
What types of emergency contraception are there?
The most common method is the emergency contraception pill, also known as the morning after pill. There are two types:
- The three-day pill, which can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex
- The five-day pill, which can be taken up to 120 hours afterwards
The morning after pill works by delaying or preventing an egg from being released and fertilised, so the sooner you take the morning after pill, the more effective it is.
There’s also the copper coil, which is a small T-shaped plastic and copper device that’s inserted into the womb by a doctor or nurse. It can be inserted up to five days after unprotected sex, and you can keep it in for up to five years and use it as your normal contraception.
Why shouldn’t you use the morning after pill as normal contraception?
Effectiveness
First thing’s first – it’s not the most effective contraception choice. The five-day pill has a 1-2% chance of pregnancy, whilst the three-day pill has a 1-3% chance. In comparison, the non-emergency oral contraception has a less than 1% chance when taken correctly.
The morning after pill isn’t effective against any unprotected sex you have after taking the tablet, so you’d need to take a tablet after every instance of unprotected sex. It isn’t recommended that you take the pill that close together, but if you need to, it works best if you use the same type twice.
Level of hormones & side effects
The morning after pill typically contains a higher amount of levonorgestrel than the non-emergency oral contraception, which helps it delay or prevent ovulation. As a result, there are possible side effects from taking the pill, including disrupting your normal menstrual cycle.
Taking the morning after pill can also delay your period or worsen your usual period symptoms. And, with frequent use, it can cause irregular periods.
If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll have to stop for a while after taking the morning after pill. For specific advice, you should speak to a pharmacist or check the information sheet inside the pill pack.
Cost
While you can get the morning after pill for free from most sexual health clinics and GP surgeries and there’s no limit on this, it might be inconvenient to visit every time you need it. You can buy the morning after pill from your nearest pharmacy or through the Boots Online Doctor Morning After Pill service* – but over time, this might add up.
Of course, these services are useful when you need emergency contraception, but buying the morning after pill every single time you need contraception isn’t cost-efficient. Other contraception methods, like the oral contraception pill or condoms, are cheaper.
So, how should you use the morning after pill properly?
The NHS recommends that you take the morning after pill as soon as possible after having unprotected sex, so it can be its most effective.
The morning after pill only prevents pregnancy if it’s used before ovulation. If you need emergency contraception after this, the copper coil can be fitted up to five days after ovulation. It’s also important to note that emergency contraception is not a method of abortion.
The morning after pill can be really useful when your normal contraception doesn’t go to plan – for example, if the condom splits, or if you have an upset stomach, meaning your regular birth control pill hasn’t been absorbed.
But using the morning after pill as your regular form of contraception isn’t a good idea, simply because it isn’t as effective as other methods, and certainly not as cost-efficient.
If you’re looking for a new contraceptive method, read our helpful guide on your different options. Learn more about what to do if your normal contraception fails, or visit our Morning After Pill Health Hub for even more advice and access to the Boots Online Doctor service.
It's also important to remember that only barrier methods of contraception (like condoms) help protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
You can get yourself tested at sexual health clinics or at your GP surgery, alternatively you can purchase at home test kits such as those available at Boots Online Doctor.*
