What is emergency contraception?
Emergency contraception is often colloquially called the "the morning after pill". Emergency contraception is based on either pills with hormones or on a IUD.
Emergency contraception is not abortion
Emergency contraception prevents a pregnancy from occurring, while an abortion is a pregnancy that is interrupted and by which the fetal tissue is removed.
Less effective
Hormonal-based emergency contraception is less effective than regular contraception. You must therefore not use emergency contraception instead of using regular contraception.
"The morning after pill"
Emergency contraception is often colloquially called the "The morning after pill". Emergency contraception is based on either pills with hormones or on a copper coil. The copper IUD is most effective, but pills with hormone are the easiest to use and the easiest to get hold of. You can read more about the copper IUD here here.
How does emergency contraception work?
Emergency contraception in the form of pills with hormones works by postponing or preventing ovulation, so that fertilization can be avoided. If you have already ovulated, the pill will therefore not work.
Few women know exactly when they ovulate, so it may be better to use emergency contraception than not.
At the same time, it is important to take the pill quickly after unprotected intercourse, because the effect decreases the longer time passes after intercourse.
Two kinds of pills
here are two types of pills with hormones in them that are used as emergency contraception. You must not take the two types of pills at the same time. It can reduce the effectiveness of both types of pills.
- Norlevo which must be taken as soon as possible within 72 hours.
- Ellaone which must be taken as soon as possible within 120 hours
The effectiveness of Ellaone and Norlevo is not the same. Ellaone is more effective in all of the first 72 hours after intercourse (85%) than Norlevo (69%).
If you want to use Norlevo, you must be aware that the effect may be influenced by other forms of medicine you have used within the last four weeks. You can ask the pharmacy about this before you buy the emergency contraceptive.
If you want to use Ellaone, you have to know that Ellaone can reduce the effectiveness of your contraception if you use contraception with hormones. If you take Ellaone and use hormone-based contraception, you must use a condom during all intercourse until you start a new cycle. A new cycle begins when you start a new sheet of birth control pills or minipills, put on the first birth control patch in a new three-week cycle, or put on the first birth control ring after the ring-free break.
The price of the two types of pills is also different. Norlevo costs around DKK 100-120, while Ellaone costs around DKK 170-180.
Where to go for emergency contraception?
- At the pharmacy, you can buy emergency contraception without a prescription
- If the pharmacy is closed, you can buy emergency contraception at a 24-hour pharmacy, from your doctor or from the emergency room
- At birth control clinics, you can buy both emergency contraception and copper coils - the clinics are found all over the country. See a list of birth control clinics here
- You buy the copper spiral from your general practitioner
How to use emergency contraception
You will be given a pill and do the following:
Read the user manual very carefully (it is in the box)
Take the pill as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse.
The Norlevo Pill should preferably be taken within 12 hours, but no later than 72 hours (three days) after intercourse. The sooner the pill is taken after intercourse, the better the effect. You should preferably take the pill in connection with a meal, as it can reduce the nausea that emergency contraception can cause.
The pill must not be chewed. If you vomit within three hours of taking the pill, you should immediately take a new pill as a replacement.
The Ellaone Pill must be taken as soon as possible and no later than 120 hours (five days) after intercourse. If you vomit within three hours of taking the pill, you should immediately take a new pill as a replacement.
If you have unprotected sex after taking the pill, it does not protect against pregnancy.
As a general rule, emergency contraception should be used no more than once between each period.
If it is taken several times, the risk of irregular bleeding is high.
But if the need is there, it may be better to take the emergency contraceptive rather than risk getting pregnant unwanted.
After you have taken emergency contraception
You can't know right away if the pill has worked.
Your next period may come before or after the expected time - depending on where in your cycle you were when you took the pill.
Both types of emergency contraception can give you temporary bleeding disorders, so that the period can come earlier or later than usual.
Regardless of when you get your next period, you should take a pregnancy test three weeks after taking the pill. This can be done at the doctor's or by buying a pregnancy test at the pharmacy.
A few women may experience nausea and vomiting, breast tenderness, dizziness and headache. The side effects usually disappear within 48 hours.
