1. What is the morning-after pill?
The morning-after pill – also called MAP, the emergency contraceptive pill, ECP or day-after pill – is a special dose of the hormones that are used in oral contraceptive pills, taken to reduce the likelihood of getting pregnant after unprotected sex.
Morning-after pills are high-dose hormone pills, containing the drug levonorgestrel, taken after unprotected sex to inhibit ovulation, fertilisation or implantation, reducing your chance of pregnancy.
To find out more about levonorgestrel, visit here.
2. The morning-after pill isn’t just for the morning after
The morning-after pill is more commonly referred to as ‘emergency contraception’ nowadays, precisely because the term ‘morning-after’ gives the impression that it can only be used the day after unprotected sex. However, it can be used up to 72 hours after intercourse, says Clicks pharmacist Waheed Abdurahman. But the sooner you take it, the better, he cautions.
3. Emergency contraception should not be used as birth control
Emergency contraceptive pills when used properly are only estimated to prevent pregnancy between 85 and 89 percent of the time versus preventative contraceptives (such as the Pill) which range in effectiveness between 97 and 99 percent.
Basically, emergency contraception should be used, as the name suggests, only in emergencies, cautions Abdurahman. “The morning-after pill should never replace a more sustainable contraceptive method like an implant, injection or regular contraceptive pills,” he says.
Additionally, because of the pills high hormonal content they usually result in stronger side effects than standard contraceptives, including bleeding, nausea and headaches. Plus, they cost more and require more stressful trips to the pharmacist or clinic.
4. The emergency contraception pill cannot be used for abortion
One of the biggest misconceptions about this emergency contraceptive pill is that it can be used to cause an abortion – but it cannot and should not be used to terminate an existing pregnancy. As Professor Elna McIntosh of DISA Health Care Clinic in Johannesburg confirms: “The pills prevent pregnancy after sex but they do not cause abortion.”
5. Emergency contraception does not prevent STIs
While emergency contraception can help reduce the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex, it does not lessen the likelihood of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS.
Speak to your Clicks pharmacist about the morning-after pill
Clicks pharmacist Waheed Abdurahman confirms that the morning-after pill is stocked at all Clicks pharmacies and sold over-the-counter for R67.10 (price correct as of July 2016 but it may change).
1. “It may only be supplied to the person who will be using it herself – we don’t sell it to a third party who may be trying to collect it on her behalf,” says Abdurahman.
2. The pharmacist will require certain information that needs to be accurate. This includes:â¨
- Time elapsed since intercourse, which has to be less than 72 hours
- If the person is currently on the Pill or other medication (to check for drug interactions)
- If the intercourse was consensual. If it was not, additional advice and counselling has to be provided in terms of medical and legal care
- Time of the last period (to establish if there could be existing pregnancy)
3. A form has to be signed by the customer, which is a legal requirement.
Note that a pharmacist may not sell this pill to you if you are under the age of 14, unless you have a doctor's prescription or are accompanied by either a parent or legal guardian, adds Abdurahman.
Pharmacists will also advise you that if regular, long-term contraception is required then the customer should consider using normal rather than MAP contraception. "Advice on barrier methods such as condoms is also given by pharmacists to protect against STD’s,” says Abdurahman.
For more information about emergency contraception or birth control options, talk to your local Clicks pharmacist or Clicks Clinic nurse.
IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com
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