How can you get the morning after pill abroad?

So you’re on holiday, you meet someone nice and, before you know it, sex on the beach isn’t just the name of a cocktail.

Everything was great until the deed is done and you realise that the condom broke, or you forgot to take your pill, or maybe you got so caught up in the moment that contraception was the last thing on your mind.

You’re thousands of miles away from home, you don’t speak the language and you want to reduce your risk of getting pregnant. What are you going to do?

If you were at home, you could head to your local pharmacy to buy emergency contraception, visit the sexual health clinic or buy it online. But where can you get the morning after pill abroad?

Not sure? You’re not alone. In our recent survey, 90% of respondents said they didn’t know how to get emergency contraception overseas.

Luckily, the morning after pill is available without prescription in many countries and can be purchased with a prescription in many more. Read on to find out how to buy the morning after pill abroad.

Emergency contraception is currently available in 147 countries. Nineteen of those countries allow direct access to the morning after pill, which means you can pick it up from a shelf and buy it without having to go through a pharmacist.

You can buy emergency contraception from a pharmacist without needing a prescription in 76 countries, while 52 countries require you to get a prescription before you can access the morning after pill.

While emergency contraception is easy to access in many places all over the world, it’s important to remember that it is unavailable in 47 countries.

Please keep in mind that the morning after pill is also illegal in some of these countries, so double check the law if you are thinking of buying the morning after pill in advance and bringing it with you.

ellaOne is 2.5x more effective than levonorgestrel* and can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex, although it is most effective when taken ASAP. ellaOne is available directly from a pharmacist without a prescription in the following countries.

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Conakry, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mauritius, Montenegro, Netherlands, Niger, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
You can also get ellaOne with a prescription from pharmacists in the following countries.

Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Columbia, Ecuador, El Savador, Hungary, Indonesia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Paraguay, Senegal, Serbia, South Korea, Togo, Tunisia and Turkey.

Knowing where to get emergency contraception is certainly helpful, but what is it like to actually go and get it abroad? We spoke to women* from all over the world to find out.

*Some names have been changed.

If you don’t fancy waving Google translate at a bemused pharmacist’s face, you can always buy the morning after pill in advance and take it with you on your trip just in case.

ellaOne is available to buy online from ellaOne direct or from select pharmacies.

Before purchasing emergency contraception for use abroad, please check the legality of taking the morning after pill into your chosen country.

We at #MyMorningAfter want to end the stigma surrounding emergency contraception. Help us change the narrative by sharing your story below and joining the conversation on social.