What is a morning after pill?

What is a morning after pill?

The morning after pill (also known as Plan B or the day after pill) is a type of emergency contraception. It is a special type of contraceptive that is used after a woman has had sex to prevent pregnancy. It can be used after unprotected sex (no contraceptive was used at all) or after a regular contraceptive has failed (eg: a condom has torn or you missed more than one dose of the regular pill).
 
There are two types of morning after pill available in Malta:
 
EllaOne is a type of morning after pill that contains ulipristal, a chemical that blocks the hormone progesterone, and it can be taken up to five days after sex.
 
Levonelle and Escapelle are pharmacologically identical and contain the hormone levonorgestrel. They can be taken up to three days after sex. 
 
The sooner a morning after pill is taken, the more likely it is to prevent pregnancy.
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