The morning after pill

What is the morning after pill?

The morning-after pill is a type of emergency birth control (contraception). Emergency contraception is used to prevent pregnancy for women or transgender people who've had unprotected sex or whose birth control method has failed.

Why is it used?
 

Morning-after pills can help prevent pregnancy if you've had unprotected sex — either because you didn't use birth control, you missed a birth control pill, you were sexually assaulted or your method of birth control failed.

 Is the morning after pill abortive? 

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Morning-after pills do not end a pregnancy that has implanted. They work primarily by delaying or preventing ovulation.  For this reason morning after pills do not cause an abortion — instead they help prevent pregnancy. The hormones in the pill work by keeping a woman’s ovaries from releasing eggs. Pregnancy cannot happen if there is no egg to join with sperm. The hormones also prevent pregnancy by thickening a woman’s cervical mucus. The mucus blocks sperm and keeps it from joining with an egg.  Some people say that EC works by keeping a fertilized egg from attaching to the lining of the uterus. But scientists say that this does not happen.

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The morning after pill in Malta

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Escapelle is a morning after pill that contains the hormone levonorgestrel and can be taken up to three days after sex.   Ella one, a type of morning after pill that contains ulipristal, can be taken up to five days after sex. However, the sooner a morning after pill is taken, the more likely it is to prevent pregnancy.

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The morning after pill does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). If you believe you may be at risk of an STI, see your GP or attend your local health centre.

The morning after pill is available in Malta without the need of a doctor's prescription and is available at National Pharmacy, Hamrun, Malta.

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