When it comes to the morning after pill, it can be tricky to separate fact from fiction. Myths and rumours can make it difficult to know what’s true and what’s not, leading to misunderstanding and confusion. Here are three morning after pill myths debunked.
1. It’s difficult and embarrassing to get hold of
Many women are under the impression that accessing the morning after pill is a difficult and embarrassing process. In actual fact, this type of emergency contraception is available from a range of different places, including your GP, your local chemist and sexual health clinics. You can even purchase it on the internet from onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com and other online pharmacies, eliminating the need to speak to your doctor or a pharmacist face to face. If you choose to get the morning after pill, you may be asked a few simple health questions to make sure it’s suitable for you to use. However, getting your hands on the morning after pill isn’t as awkward as you might think.
2. It’s only effective up to 24 hours after sex
It’s falsely believed that emergency contraception literally has to be used ‘the morning after’ and that it is only effective within a 24-hour period after sex. The truth is, Levonelle and ellaOne – the two types of the morning after pill available – can be effective for a number of days. Levonelle can prevent pregnancy for up to three days, while ellaOne can be effective for up to five days after sex. However, it is important to remember that the sooner Levonelle or ellaOne are used, the more effective they are likely to be.
3. It can cause infertility
It’s a common misconception that the morning after pill can affect a woman’s long term fertility and cause them to search for help from specialists such as IVF Treatment from Fertility Plus. Although this type of emergency contraception can temporarily prevent you from falling pregnant, there is no evidence to suggest that using it can make you infertile. Using the morning after pill regularly is not recommended, and it should not be used as a replacement for another type of contraception, such as the combined pill. However, using it more than once will not cause you to have problems conceiving in the future.
Your sexual health is paramount and it’s important that you take it seriously. Being clued up on the morning after pill should give you greater peace of mind that it’s available for you to use should you need to.
This is a collaborative post