If It Works For 10 Weeks, Why’s It Called The Morning-After Pill?

This came from a live event. And I do have permission to use the question here.

Let me start by giving a little background because it took us a while to get to this actual question. Somebody asked me why it was called the morning after pill if you could use it for so much longer than just the morning after. So I explained that emergency contraception can be used up to 5 days, or 120 hours, after unprotected intercourse to prevent pregnancy.

Questions like this about timing of emergency contraception are pretty common. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t like people using the term “morning after pill.” It’s confusing and inaccurate.

Before I go back to the original question, let me give a little information on some methods of emergency contraception. Many people have heard of Plan B. This is the proprietary name for one type of emergency contraception. There are also some generic versions of this which are way cheaper. These are hormonal options that are available over the counter.

It's more effective if you take it as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse. Ideally within 3 days. But you can take it up to 5 days after unprotected vaginal intercourse.

There are some concerns about Plan B and the generic versions, specifically for people of a certain height and weight. These medications are most effective for people who have a BMI of under 25. I'm not really a fan of BMI in general when talking about health and body fat. But in this situation it’s important because it's going to be a factor in how effective it is for you.

If you don’t know your BMI, there are plenty of calculators online you can use to figure it out.

If you have a BMI under 25, Plan B and the generic versions are considered pretty effective. It's less effective for people with a BMI over 25. And some sources say that it's actually ineffective if you have a BMI over 30.

And while Plan B is theoretically an option for people of all weights, for those over 165 pounds it may be less effective.

If you're realizing that your weight and/or BMI may put you in the less effective category for Plan B, don't worry! There’s another hormonal option available called Ella. Ella is considered more effective for folks who have a higher BMI and higher weight.

One drawback of Ella is that it’s available by prescription only.

There is a whole other option which is nonhormonal. It’s the insertion of a copper IUD into the uterus. Having a copper IUD inserted is a more complicated process than simply taking a pill. If you’re open to an IUD, or you were already considering it for contraception, then this may be a good option for you. But it still needs to be done within that same 5 day time frame.

Ok… back to the question.

So I explained to the person who was asking the question that you can use emergency contraception within 5 days of unprotected intercourse. And she kind of looked at me like I wasn't quite getting it. She kept saying that that couldn’t be right. That it wasn’t enough time. When I asked her what she meant, she said that she had read on a website that she could take a pill up to 10 weeks into pregnancy. And that's when I realized we were talking about two completely different things.

Emergency contraception is used when there has been unprotected intercourse. It’s used to prevent pregnancy.

What she was talking about was a medical abortion which is completely different. A medical abortion is a combination of medicines that is used to end a pregnancy, not prevent it. It can be done up to 10 weeks of pregnancy.

A medical abortion is usually done using two different medications. The first is mifepristone. The second is misoprostol. The second is taken up to 48 hours after the first medication. Your prescribing physician will give you details on the right timing for you.

Once you take misoprostol you will experience cramping and bleeding. That will last for several hours after you take it. Medical abortions are more than 90% effective at ending a pregnancy. It’s important that you do a follow up with a health care provider after to make sure the pregnancy has ended.

So just to sum things up: emergency contraception can be used up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse. Though the sooner the better. This is designed to prevent pregnancy. It is not an abortion.

A medical abortion can be done up to 10 weeks of pregnancy.

There was a lot of information here, so feel free to follow up if you need some clarification on anything.

Until next time, be safe, and have fun!

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