What Is Emergency Contraception and How Does It Work?

emergency contraception pills explaining how they prevent pregnancy
Emergency contraception is a safe and effective method of preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. It provides a critical second chance to avoid unintended pregnancy when regular contraception has not been used or has failed.  

In this blog, we will explain what emergency contraception is, how emergency contraception works, and where to get emergency contraception in the UK. 

What Is Emergency Contraception? 

Emergency contraception refers to methods used to prevent pregnancy after sexual activity without protection or when contraceptive methods such as a condom have failed. There are two main types: the emergency contraceptive pill (commonly known as the morning after pill) and the copper intrauterine device (IUD). 

The emergency contraceptive pill must be taken within a specific timeframe—typically within 3 to 5 days of unprotected intercourse, depending on the type used. If you are unsure which option is right for you, it’s best to seek advice from a pharmacist or healthcare professional as soon as possible. 

How Does Emergency Contraception Work? 

Understanding how emergency contraception works can help you make timely and informed decisions. The emergency contraceptive pill works by delaying or preventing ovulation. This means that no egg is released for sperm to fertilise. It does not terminate an existing pregnancy, nor does it protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). 

While not 100% effective, the emergency contraceptive pill can significantly reduce the risk of pregnancy when taken as directed. Its effectiveness depends on how soon it is taken after unprotected sex, with earlier use offering better protection. 

Who Can Take the Emergency Contraceptive Pill? 

Most women can safely take the emergency contraceptive pill, including those who cannot use regular hormonal contraception. However, it may be less effective for individuals taking certain medications or those with a higher body weight. A pharmacist or healthcare professional can help determine the most suitable option for you. 

Emergency Contraception in the UK: Access and Advice 

If you are wondering where to get emergency contraception, there are several convenient options in the UK. It is available from: 

  1. Pharmacies (often without a prescription). 
     

  • Sexual health clinics.

  • Some GP surgeries.

  • Some NHS walk-in centres.  

Many UK pharmacies offer confidential consultations, and you can also access services online for added discretion. It is important to act quickly, as emergency contraception becomes less effective the longer you wait after unprotected sex. 

Responsible Use and Where to Seek Support 

While emergency contraception offers a reliable safety net, it is intended for occasional use and not as a regular method of birth control. Being informed about your options ensures you can respond quickly and responsibly. 

If you require fast, discreet, and professional support, Pharmacies like Maple Leaf Pharmacy offer expert guidance and access to emergency contraception pills.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Benefits of Pharmacy Delivery Services

Image
5 Benefits of Pharmacy Delivery Services With the world huddled up in their rooms and the heavily jammed traffic taking a back seat, we have to give more thoughts and more credits to the deliveries that are made the door to door to not only give us peace of mind and lesser efforts but also in this light of pandemic has given us a freedom to choose safety over anything. From being a lesser burden on the pockets to saving up an incredible amount of time and worries, given below are five key benefits in the line of pharmacy delivery services : ●           Medicinal adherence: There's no denying the fact that most of us after a certain age are more prone to having more than one prescription drug. Purchasing them from various brick and mortar stores may result in the waste of a lot of energy and excess waste of money. The smarter choice is sticking to pharmacies that bring the medicines and deliver them to the doorsteps. Pharmacies such as the...
Read more

Things to Look Forward to After Quitting Smoking

Image
  Benefits After Quitting Smoking Smoking is a habit that harms almost every part of the body. During smoking, harmful compounds infuse themselves in the inner systems of the human body. It is bad enough that human beings, animals and all of nature are subject to the harm because of pollution, added to that smoking is another health hazard. The human system is not programmed to dispose such compounds. So, these compounds get mixed with inner fluids and systems. And then, the inner functions of the body gets hampered. Between two consecutive smoking sessions, the body heals itself. Chain smokers do not allow for this gap also and in turn greatly harm their bodies. Stop smoking service Isleworth is one of many services that help in such processes. Why should one quit smoking?   · Smoking causes lung cancer and a number of other diseases. But the fact is it can be effectively prevented by ' stop smoking treatment ' . · Among every death caused by heart disease, at least on...
Read more

Smoking and cancer: cause and effect

Image
Smoking and cancer: cause and effect Doctors have known this for times immemorial that smoking causes cancers of various types: Lung cancer being one of the most prominent ones among them. However, smoking has been linked as a major cause of many other types of cancer. Smoking causes many cancers in a human body Not just direct smoking, but also being a passive smoker or a second hand smoker has been deemed as a cause of a number of cancer related deaths. Second hand smoke can be considered as smoke from the burning cigarettes and also that which is blown out by active smokers. The human body inhales several poisonous substances along with the nicotine that creates havoc within ones immune system. The cancerous cells present in our body become that much harder to kill, which are very easily destroyed in an otherwise healthy body. Once left unchecked, these cancer cells grow rapidly damaging all the healthy organs in their paths. Smoking causes the following cancers Prostate c...
Read more