What is the difference between morning after pills?

What is the difference between morning after pills?

In Malta, the most commonly sold morning after pills are Levonelle, Escapelle, and EllaOne. All are available over the counter (no need for a doctors' prescription) and are available in may pharmacies in Malta and Gozo. The costs of morning after pills are similar, with EllaOne usually being slightly costlier.
 
Levonelle and Escapelle have the same active ingredient: Levonorgestrel 1.5g. EllaOne, on the other hand, uses a different active ingredient: Ulipristal 30mg. And, as you would expect, there are some differences between Levonorgestrel and Ulipristal that you should be aware of:
 
- Both Levonorgestrel and Ulipristal are effective in preventing pregnancy when taken up to three days after sex (with Ulipristal probably being slightly more effective). However, Ulipristal continues to be effective at preventing pregnancy when taken up to five days after sex. Therefore, women who are going to take a morning after pill between 3 and 5 days (72 and 120 hours) after sex should opt for Ulipristal.
 
- Ulipristal is more effective than Levonorgestrel when the woman has had sex during the five days before ovulation, or on the day of ovulation, and is recommended as first line in these cases by the British National Formulary.
 
- Levonorgestrel 1.5g (ie: a single pill of either Escapelle or Levonelle) may be less effective in women who are overweight (BMI of over 26). The efficacy of Ulipristal 30mg (one pill of EllaOne) does not seem to be affected by weight. Therefore, the British National Formulary recommends either a double dose of Levonogestrel (ie: two pills of Escapelle or Levonelle), or a single EllaOne in women who are overweight.
 
- The side effects of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bleeding/spotting are common with both Levonorgestrel and Ulipristal, but Ulipristal is more likely than Levonorgestrel to delay the next period.
 
- If you take the oral contraceptive pill and you have used a morning after pill, you should use a condom for the next 7 days (9 days with Qlara). If you have taken Levonorgestrel (Escapelle or Levonelle), you can restart the oral contraceptive pill the next day. If you have taken Ulipristal (EllaOne), you should wait 5 days before restarting your oral contraceptive pill.

    • Related Articles

    • Do morning after pills affect fertility?

      No, morning after pills - both Escapelle and EllaOne - do not affect your chances of becoming pregnant in the future.

    • How effective are morning after pills?

      Morning after pills are about 75% effective at preventing pregnancy. This means they prevent three out of four pregnancies that would otherwise happen if morning after pills are not used. The earlier they are used, the better. For example, studies ...

    • How do morning after pills work? Do morning after pills cause an abortion?

      Morning after pills work by inhibiting ovulation (release of the egg) and fertilisation (the fusion of an egg and sperm). They do not inhibit implantation of a fertilised egg. They also do not terminate an established pregnancy. Morning after pills ...

    • Can I use morning after pills while breastfeeding?

      Yes, but you should opt for Levonorgestrel-based morning after pills (Levonelle or Escapelle) if you want to continue breastfeeding. Although small amounts of the hormones contained in the pills may pass into your breast milk, it is not thought to be ...

    • What is the difference between Women on Web and Women Help Women?

      Women on Web and Women Help Women are both reputable organisations that offer online consultations to women who need an abortion in countries where abortion is restricted, and provide them with abortion pills to use at home. Both organisations have ...