'My Experience with the morning after pill’: Feeling Relieved and Reassured

Have you ever taken the morning after pill? If so, how did you feel about it? Some people may feel a sense of judgement or shame when thinking about hormonal emergency contraception, but there is no reason to feel that way.

The morning after pill is for anyone who wants to prevent an unplanned pregnancy after having unprotected sex or experiencing contraceptive failure. No contraceptive method is 100% effective, and sometimes things can go wrong. Condoms can break, pills can be missed or made ineffective by illness, and yes, sometimes people can get carried away in the heat of the moment.

The morning after pill is used by women and people with uteruses from all walks of life. It doesn’t matter if you’re single, dating, in a relationship, married, or if you have kids or not: if you’re not ready to have a baby right now, you have the right to seek emergency contraception.

That’s why ellaOne® has created My Morning After Stories, a campaign that invites people to share their experiences with emergency contraception. The aim is to break the stigma around this type of contraception and to offer support and reassurance to others who may need it.

The stories on this platform show how diverse and positive this experience can be. Many people report feeling relieved and reassured after taking the morning after pill. We’ve selected some of the stories to show you that you’re not alone.

“I got the morning after pill for the first time yesterday and I feel very lucky it was such a positive experience.  The male pharmacist asked if I would rather see a woman and I said I didn’t mind and he was so lovely and not judgemental. I am so grateful to be living in this country and to have easy access to the morning after pill as I’m really not sure what I’d have done without it.”

Anonymous, 22, Glasgow
Read the full My Morning After story

“I first took the morning after pill when I was 15. I’d lost my virginity and the condom had split- the sheer panic that coursed through my veins is indescribable. The morning after pill gave me a sense of relief, and a choice as to whether I wanted to become a mother at such a young age. We’ve been raised in a society where it’s shameful to be a young or single mother. In a society where sex is STILL a taboo subject, where men are allowed to do as they please and us girls have to pick up the pieces. This gives us the option of what pieces to pick up. So why not take it? The morning after the night before should not be the walk of shame, it should be a strut of pride that we, as women, have the power.”

Anonymous, 25
Read the full My Morning After Story

“Due to the time difference, I accidentally forgot to take one of my regular birth control pills. I was freaking out because I didn’t know the language and had no idea what stigma it might have in another country.

Luckily, one google search later I found a pharmacy and the Spanish for the morning after pill (Píldora del día después) and the pharmacist couldn’t have been nicer to me. I was so glad that I recognised it was the same brand as the one I had used back home in the UK!”

Anonymous, 25, London
Read the full My Morning After Story

“I have taken the morning after pill twice and I often find that people are surprised when I talk candidly about it. To some, it’s an admission of guilt, that you messed up, that you were ‘irresponsible’. To me, this makes no sense. Irresponsibility is the lack of response, or assertive action. No one feels irresponsible asking for cough medicine or plasters.  

Both of my experiences have been that of relief, of a bullet dodged, of a reset button pressed. Both incidents happened while in a long-term relationship which may have reduced judgement in those who I interacted with. I have spoken candidly of my experience to others, not only to reduce stigma about this form of contraception, but also to reduce fear and myths around it, so that more women see it as an option they can take if their normal contraception has failed for whatever reason, and not as a personal failing.”

Georgina, 25

Read the full My Morning After Story

“After a condom ripped I was terrified I may become pregnant, but I went to my local pharmacy and after answering a few questions I was given ellaOne, and after taking it I felt calmer. As a uni student, a pregnancy would be life altering and I’m not in the position to afford a child, so emergency contraception has been really helpful on multiple occasions.”

Anonymous

Read the full My Morning After Story

“The doctors were closed and me and my partner had bad luck with the condom splitting – but the morning after pill helped me avoid an unwanted pregnancy and the people are so confidential with it. It’s amazing that it’s available when you need it quick!”

Anonymous

Read the full My Morning After Story

“There was an occasion where things got quite hot and heavy and we hadn’t noticed the condom split. I headed straight to the chemist the next morning to pick up the morning after pill. It gave me peace of mind before my next period.”

Anonymous, 25, UK

Read the full My Morning After Story

Have you ever taken the morning after pill? Would you like to share your experience? Click the button below to submit your story.

ellaOne® 30mg film-coated tablet contains ulipristal acetate and is indicated for emergency contraception within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. Always read the label.