Plan B pill refers to the emergency birth control pill. Its other names are “morning-after pill” or “after sex pill”. The commonly known brands locally are Ella and Postinor.
How does it work?
All forms of plan b pill contain hormones. The hormones delay the release of the egg from the ovary. The deposited sperm will not meet the egg and hence fertilization cannot occur. In this way the pregnancy is prevented despite sex.
How to prevent pregnancy after sex?
Apart from Plan B pill, there are other ways to avoid pregnancy after sex. One of which is copper-IUD. Although copper-IUD is known to be more effective, many opt for emergency OCP. This is simply because they are more accessible and a cheaper alternative to solve the problem. A copper-IUD insertion would involve making an appointment with a gynaecologist. Not to mention the cost of ~ $400 for the procedure.
Where can I get the pill?
Plan B pill may be available over the counter in some countries. However in Singapore, a doctor’s prescription is required. With the advent of teleconsultation, you can get a Plan B pill delivered to you in the comfort of your house. All you need to do is to raise a consult on the telemedicine service. Together with consultation charges, 1 dose of Plan B costs about $35-$80 conventionally. If you find that you are requiring Plan B too often, you should consider daily oral contraceptive pill (OCP). OCP offers better consistent efficacy compared to plan B. For example, plan b pill effect decreases the later you take the medicine after sex. Yet for OCP, the effect is consistent so long as it is taken regularly.
How should you consume the plan B pill?
All emergency contraceptive pill should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex. Plan B pill work by interfering with ovulation. The sooner you take Plan B pill, the higher the chance of preventing ovulation, preventing pregnancy. For example, Plan B pill have close to 98% success to prevent pregnancy when taken within 24 hours. This reduces to 85% success when taken at the 5 days mark.
How effective is plan b pregnancy pill?
When taken at its recommended dose within a time frame of 72 hours (for postinor) or 5 days (for Ella), Plan B pill can prevent pregnancy up to 95% – 98% of the time. However, there are medications and other factors that can decrease the efficacy of Plan B bills, resulting in pregnancy.
When does it not work?
Somewhere between 0.6% to 5.8% of women who take Plan B within the time frame will still become pregnant. The efficacy of Plan B may be reduced in women of higher body weight with suggested rates of 5.8% (using postinor) vs 2.6% in (Ella). If your BMI is on the high side >26kg/m2, it is recommended that you take Ella instead of Postinor.
It is not well studied how emergency contraceptive pill are affected by medications. However, certain medications are known to reduce the efficacy of contraceptive pill, also containing the same components as Plan B pill. These medications include rifampin, griseofulvin, certain anticonvulsant drugs, Saint John’s wort, certain antiretroviral drugs and antibiotics. If you are on these medications, you should consider inserting copper IUD as the failure risk is higher.
What is the difference between Postinor and Ella?
Postinor is the ‘old’ and relatively cheaper medication compared to Ella. Data is in favor of Ella, making it the ‘premier’ plan B medication. Not only it has a higher efficacy in preventing pregnancy, it is also a single dose medication that can be taken up to 5 days after sex. For your easy reference a table is computed below for your reference.
| Drug | Dose | Timeframe | Efficacy | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ella | Single | Within 5 days | 98 % (Taken on day 1) 85% (Taken on day 5) | $$$ |
| Postinor | 2 doses once or 12 hourly dose | Within 72 hours (3 days) | 95% (Taken on day 1) 58% (Taken on Day 3) | $$ |
| OCP | Daily | Daily | About 97% consistently | $ |
What if I was already pregnant and I took the emergency contraceptive pill?
If you are already pregnant, taking Plan B will not pose harm to the baby. It will not affect the pregnancy or increase the chance of a miscarriage. However, you should still do a pregnancy test to ensure that you are not pregnant before you take Plan B. Otherwise you would have taken the Plan B pill for nothing.
When will my menses come after taking plan B?
Most women, 87% of the time, will have their period at their expected time, while others can expect a delay of up to 7-10 days. If it has been more than 10 days of your expected menses, you should do a pregnancy test to exclude the possibility of pregnancy.
Can I take Plan-B more than once in a cycle?
Plan B pill are meant for ‘accidents’ and not for deliberate repeated use. For such situations, OCP taken daily proves to be more effective and cost efficient.
The efficacy of repeated use has not been well studied . Frequent use of postinor/ella within the same cycle has caused no serious side effects and is safe for the user. The use of plan B preventing pregnancy again in the same cycle will still be useful. However, its efficacy has not been well studied and could be reduced.
If you have recently used Plan B and would require emergency contraception again, it is generally more advisable to go for copper IUD insertion instead. However, if this is not possible, taking plan b pill would still be more useful than not doing so.
What are the side effects of Plan-B?
Plan B is generally very safe and the side effects are typically mild and self- resolving.
The most common side effect of Plan B is having a heavier or delayed period the next time you have your period, occasionally accompanied with stomach cramps and nausea. Bleeding or spotting in between your menses is possible. If you are more sensitive to hormonal changes, you may experience more pronounced PMS symptoms. They include sore breasts, tiredness and headache.
Why should you choose reallysick.sg for your Plan B medications?
Our doctors at reallysick.com are approachable and non-judgemental. We are sure to be discreet in the packaging of your medications. You will be able to track your delivery man so you can receive your medications before anybody else gets it. Since its efficacy is affected by time, we understand the urgency to deliver it right away. We aim to get it delivered within 2 hours from the point of consultation! Yes – you shouldn’t be really waiting for the ‘morning-after’.
If you still have any question(s), drop us a message on whatsapp.
Common myths that people believe can avoid pregnancy.
It’s just pre-cum so I won’t get pregnant.
The pre-cum contains just as much sperm as the cum. You cannot prevent pregnancy by just withdrawing the penis before ejaculation.
I’m safe because I’m way before my ovulation.
The sperm can survive in the uterus for up to 5 days. This is to say that you can get pregnant even 5 days after intercourse.
Breastfeeding can prevent pregnancy.
Breastfeeding can produce a hormone called oxytocin. This helps to decrease your chance of ovulation. However this effect is not consistent and often ovulation still occurs.
I’m safe because this is my first sex.
You can get pregnant as long as sperm enters the vagina.
I can’t get pregnant if I am very young.
You can get pregnant as long as you are of a fertile age. On average that would be between 12 to 51 years old. It is possible to get pregnant even before your first menses. This is because your first ovulation can occur before that.
Having sex in a hot tub can prevent pregnancy.
The hot water or chlorine does not kill the sperm. Once the sperm enters the vagina, pregnancy can still happen.
Douching after sex can avoid pregnancy.
Douching refers to washing the vaginal with water or other solutions. The solution used in douching can only reach the vagina and not the uterus. Once the sperm reaches the uterus, no amount of douching will help. Besides, douching increases the risk of vaginal infection and should not be done in any circumstances.
Reference: Emergency contraception review: evidence-based recommendations for clinicians – PMC (nih.gov)