The most important point is to know the exact number of hours you had unprotected sexual intercourse as it will determine whether the EC will work for you, and which brand to take.

Despite being known as the ‘morning-after’ pill, the best time to take it is as soon as possible after unprotected sexual intercourse to improve its effectiveness. With Ella, you can take the pill up to 5 days after.

The pill is generally well tolerated, and is best taken after food. Sometimes, slight nausea may occur, and if you vomit within 3 hours, another tablet should be taken.

Monthly birth control pills generally contain two hormones that prevent ovulation (egg release) and inhibit sperm from entering the uterus, by making the cervical mucous unfriendly to sperm; this should be taken regularly as a form of contraception.

Whereas emergency contraceptive is, as the name suggests, used only when you miss your regular pills and have unprotected sex, or when a condom breaks.

Some women experience nausea, headaches, and breast tenderness. It’s best to refer to the product insert or to consult your medical professional for more information. We have treatments to help with these side effects.

Use of EC does not prevent STIs. Please monitor for symptoms of abnormal/ foul smelling vaginal discharge, vaginal itch and pain on passing urine and seek medical advice should you have these symptoms.

You can drink alcohol after taking the pill. Alcohol does not make Plan B or Ella, the most common emergency contraceptive pills, any less effective. However, it is best to drink in moderation. If you vomit after drinking, it can affect the absorption of the pill.

You generally will not need any follow-up care. If your period is more than one week late after taking emergency contraception, you should take a pregnancy test.

Research has shown that Postinor 2 is safe in breastfeeding and will not affect breast milk production or have significant effects on your baby.

Postinor 2 can be taken twice (i.e. 4 tabs) in 1 menstrual cycle while Ella is not recommended to be taken more than once in a menstrual cycle.

Emergency contraceptives should also not be used as regular birth control. Though there are no known health risks, regularly taking emergency contraceptives can result in increased side effects (like irregular bleeding).

If you find that you require EC more than once a month, we will recommend that you consider starting regular oral contraceptive which has an efficacy of 99% if taken correctly compared to recurrent EC use in the same menstrual cycle which results in a lower efficacy of 55%.

Postinor 2 is more effective the sooner that you take it. The longer you wait, the less likely it is to work. Ella has been shown to work up to 5 days after sex but should still be taken as soon as possible.

Your menstrual cycle will typically restart within one week of the anticipated start date. Irregular bleeding and spotting can also occur and continue up to 1 month after treatment. However, this should resolve without treatment.

You have to be above 18 years old to speak to a medical professional and obtain Emergency Contraception.

Emergency contraceptives work by preventing or delaying ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). If you do not release an egg during ovulation, you cannot get pregnant. Emergency contraception is not an abortion pill and will not work if you are already pregnant

Emergency contraceptives are about 58-95% effective at preventing pregnancy. This large range is because of the delay between the time between last sexual intercourse and the time the pill is taken. The longer the delay, the less effective EC is.

Postinor 2 is currently approved for use up to 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex. Ella is approved for use up to 120 hours (5 days) after unprotected sex.

Ella is equally effective throughout the 5 days after unprotected sex, but Postinor 2 is less effective with time. Overall, most research shows that Ella is more effective.