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The morning-after pill that works five days after sex

By Kasie Davies on Friday 29 January 2010

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A new morning-after pill is causing a stir among health critics as a new study shows it can be taken up to five days after sex - that's 48 hours later than the current pill.

The tablet, called EllaOne, is more effective at protecting against pregnancy than existing drugs taken by thousands of women a year. Even when taken the full five days after unprotected sex, it still has a 50% success rate.

But not everyone is pleased with the pill launched in Britain last October. Health professionals are concerned that an improved morning-after pill will give women a false sense of security and encourage a relaxed attitude to sex.

Critics claim this will encourage unprotected intercourse among young people, making them more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia.

Anti-abortion campaigners are also insisting that a five-day-after pill is very different to a conventional morning-after pill, and is in fact more like an ‘abortive agent'.

Josephine Quintavalle , of the Pro-Life Alliance, said: ‘If you take a morning-after pill within 24 hours, there is always the argument that the sperm may not have fertilized the egg by then, meaning pregnancy has not yet happened.

‘But if this pill works for five days there is no argument. This is not a contraceptive, it is an abortive agent.'

Researchers have since responded to this line of argument by insisting that EllaOne works by delaying the release of an egg for fertilization rather than destroying an implanted embryo.

At the moment, the drug is only available on prescription, but as more women use it and long-term side-effects become more available, it could soon be sold over the counter through pharmacies.

So what do you think? Is this as exciting development that will help thousands of women avoid unexpected pregnancy, or a threat to sexual health and social responsibility? Marie Claire wants to hear your thoughts by posting your comments below.

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Friday 29 January 2010

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Actually, health professionals are welcoming this new development. Why is the only quote in this article from the anti-abortion campaigner?

If you want to know what the Lancet (the very well respected medical journal who published the new research on this), the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, the Family Planning Association or other sexual health experts are saying about it, it's easy enough to google!

There is absolutely no evidence that access to better contraception makes women suddenly more careless about using contraception. Deciding to use contraception or to use emergency contraception if all else fails is hardly an 'irresponsible' thing to do!

I would say is a cause for relief for many women to know they might have two more days opportunity to get hold of this pill. Two days really matters if your condom breaks during a public holiday. Or it might allow a woman time to get to her GP to be prescribed this morning after pill, because she can't afford to spend Â£30 in a chemist to buy the pill over the counter! Ditto scared teenager or woman who has been sexually assaulted or worse and needs a bit more time to gather herself up to seek medical help by getting to a doctor and getting emergency contraception. So let's not be so quick to judge, people.

PS basic factual correction- the morning after pill does NOT work if the woman is already pregnant. The religious campaigner's quote that it is the same as abortion is total nonsense.

I would have hoped that Marie Claire would have put together something a lot more informed on serious issues that intimately affect our everyday lives, like contraception and pregnancy
Comment by Facts not Opinions please on January 29 16:14

its good news for women all over the world who choose to use them.men and women are going to have sex so this is going to help prevent them from having pregnancy's when they are not ready to have children.
Comment by DAFFY22 on January 29 21:13

I am always pleased when we women have something to help protect us from unwanted pregnacies...I look at the stores in the contraceptives section and always shake my head in awe that we, as women have so little of a choice....
Im not concerned with those nay sayers...when women have total control of their bodies..I believe then, we can rest easy....I want my daughter to have all that can be availabe to her and any woman that needs to protect herself from unwanted pregnacies..yes I know we handle the out comes...sometimes having another child we havent planned on and they can become the love of our lives...but choice is best for all women...thank you! cant wait to see it more readily available...
Comment by Vonna on January 29 21:29

Add to this the fact that it can sometimes take a good five days to even get an appointment with your own G P or an NHS doctor and they nor the receptionists at the front desks will consider a possible unplanned pregnancy as an emergency
Comment by elizabeth on January 30 22:31