All there is to know about ellaOne® morning after pill

Condom split? Missed pill? Caught in the moment? Whatever the reason, realising that you’ve had unprotected sex and could be at risk of pregnancy is never a fun moment. Don’t feel alone – plenty of people have been in this situation before, like the women from ellaOne^®’s MyMorningAfter community.

To reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancy, it is wise to seek emergency contraception as soon as possible. You can either choose to take the morning after pill, such as ellaOne^®, or have a copper IUD fitted. Any emergency contraceptive is more effective the sooner you use it: so let’s get down to the details…

ellaOne^® is an oral emergency contraceptive pill (also known as the morning after pill) containing ulipristal acetate. It is available in most pharmacies, or can be purchased from ellaOne® Direct.

No other morning after pill is more effective* than ellaOne®. If you have had unprotected sex, taking ellaOne® can prevent unplanned pregnancy. ellaOne® can be effective for up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex has taken place, but is most effective when taken ASAP. ellaOne® is 98% effective, as around 2 in 100 may become pregnant after taking it.

ellaOne^® is intended for use in the case of emergency it is not meant to be a replacement for a regular method of contraception.

*Verify at: ellaone.co.uk/verify

You can buy ellaOne® online, or get it from most pharmacies. Find out more about buying ellaOne® at the pharmacy.

The morning after pill can also be accessed free of charge from a GP, or the sexual health clinic.

ellaOne^® works by delaying ovulation so that any sperm in the female reproductive system cannot find an egg to fertilise, and so no pregnancy can occur.

When you have unprotected sex, sperm travel from the vagina, through the cervix and up the fallopian tubes where they wait for an egg. ellaOne^® helps prevent or delay ovulation until all the sperm have died (5 days), so there is no egg for them to fertilise and no pregnancy can take place.

It is very important that you take ellaOne^® as soon as possible after unprotected sex for it to be most effective.

If ovulation has already taken place, no morning after pill will be effective. It is very hard to know when you are ovulating as your cycle can change from month to month. By taking ellaOne^® as soon as possible after unprotected sex, you reduce the risk of ovulating in that time.

The morning after pill only works by preventing ovulation, it can not cause an abortion and it will not have any effect in a case where an egg has already been fertilised.

No other morning after pill is more effective* than ellaOne®.

In a clinical trial, ellaOne^® has been shown to reduce the rate of pregnancy to just 9 in 1000 when taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex. This is because of the active ingredient ulipristal acetate, which has been shown to be 2.5 times more effective than other morning after pills containing levonorgestrel.

You can take ellaOne^® up to 120 hours (5 days) after unprotected sex, but it is more effective the sooner you take it.

ellaOne^® is generally well tolerated but, like any medicine, some people will experience side effects after taking ellaOne^®. The most common side effects typically only affect up to 1 in 10 people. Find more information about potential side effects.

It is important to remember that ellaOne^® is only effective for a specific instance of unprotected sex. Taking ellaOne^® will not protect you for future occasions of unprotected sex. Your fertility will return to normal very quickly, and you should use a condom until your next period arrives, even if you are using a hormonal method of contraception like the pill.

Mild side effects may occur, but generally there is no reason that taking ellaOne^® should interfere with what you had planned for that day or the evening afterwards. You can drink alcohol after using ellaOne^®.

Pharmacist Deborah Evans** says, “like all medicines, the morning after pill can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them, and most people will not experience any side effects at all. Your pharmacist can help you if you have any concerns.”

The most common side effects (which will only affect up to 1 in 10 people) include headaches, stomach pain, breast tenderness, mood changes and feeling nauseous. For more information, please take a look at our guide to the potential side effects of ellaOne^®.

ellaOne^® is a single pill that should be swallowed with water. You can take ellaOne at any time of day or night.

If you vomit within three hours of taking ellaOne^®, you should contact your pharmacist or GP as you may need to take another pill.

Despite the nickname ‘morning after pill’, you can use ellaOne^® at any time of day or night, and it can still be effective for up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex.

ellaOne^® is most effective when taken within the first 24 hours after unprotected sex has taken place. ellaOne^® can be taken at any time of the menstrual cycle, but if you have ovulated then it may not be effective – however this is very difficult to predict, so speak to your pharmacist who will be able to advise you further.

When you go to get ellaOne^®, the pharmacist (or other healthcare professional) will ask you a number of questions to check that this medicine is suitable for you. If you are purchasing ellaOne^® online, you will also have to answer these questions.

If you are breastfeeding, you should not breastfeed for one week after taking ellaOne^®. You can continue to milk in order to stimulate and maintain production, but this milk should be thrown away.

The active ingredient in ellaOne^® is ulipristal acetate. Each tablet contains 30 milligrams of ulipristal acetate. This is what postpones ovulation.

The other ingredients in ellaOne^® are lactose monohydrate, povidone, croscarmellose sodium and magnesium stearate.

The healthcare professional who gives you ellaOne^® will ask if you are taking any other medicines, you should also tell them if you’ve used medicines without a prescription or any herbal medicines. This is because some medicines can prevent ellaOne^® from working properly.

Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before using ellaOne^® when you use (or have recently used) any of the medicines stated above. They may recommend you use another type of emergency contraceptive, like the copper intrauterine device: find out more about that here.

Can’t find an answer to your question about ellaOne^®? Try our ellaOne^® FAQs page.

**Deborah Evans does not endorse any medicinal brands or products