Warning: The morning-after pill may NOT work for millions, experts reveal

IF you had unprotected sex, forgot to take your contraceptive pill or broke a condom, you will probably be at the pharmacy the next day buying a morning-after pill.

But the pill may not work for millions of people in the UK as being overweight or obese can affect the medicine’s effectiveness, a women’s health expert has warned.

The morning-after pill — also known as emergency birth control — works by delaying the release of an egg.

Sperm can stay alive in the genital tract for up to five days, but delaying ovulation with the pill means the sperm will likely die before it can fertilize an egg and result in pregnancy.

Dr Frances Yarlett, NHS GP and Medical Director of The detailstold Sun Health there may be a risk that the morning-after pill may be less effective if you are overweight or obese.

She cited research published in 2011which found that women who took the morning-after pill with levonorgestrel were more likely to get pregnant if their body mass index (BMI) was greater than 30, compared to those whose BMI was less than 26.

BMI measures whether you are a healthy weight for your height.

According to the NHS, having a BMI of 25 to 29.9 means you’re in the overweight range, and a BMI of 30 or more means you’re obese.

O 2021 Health Survey for England estimated that almost 30% of adults in England were obese, while almost 40% were overweight.

“Research studies that looked at different people found that the concentration of levonorgestrel in the bloodstream was lower in people with higher BMIs,” said Dr. Yarlett.

“This means it is possible that the levonorgestrel morning-after pill may be less effective in people who weigh more than 70 kg or have a BMI greater than 26.”

The doctor noted that there are two different types of morning-after pills.

Brands like Levonelle One Step, LoviOne or Ezinelle uses the progestin hormone levonorgestrel and can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse.

The other type of morning-after pill is called ellaOneand this can be used up to five days after sex.

“Frustratingly, the morning-after pill is a paid medicine in pharmacies, and this can affect women’s pill choice and prevent them from taking a higher dose,” said Dr Yarlett.

“That’s why we’d love to see the morning-after pill free for everyone.”

A Information Blog detailing the different forms of emergency contraception adds that ellaOne may be less likely to work if you have a BMI over 30 or weigh over 85 kg.

“It has been suggested that doubling the dose of the levonorgestrel pill increases effectiveness, but another study suggests this makes no difference,” he said.

Guidelines from the UK College of Sexual and Reproductive Health suggest that ellaOne should be offered to women weighing more than 70kg or with a BMI over 26, or two levonorgestrel tablets if this pill is not available.

The Lowdown suggests discussing your options with a pharmacist.

“It is very important to know that none of the types of morning-after pills are effective after ovulation,” emphasized Dr.

‘If you’ve already ovulated or can’t take the morning-after pill, you can put in the copper coil in case of emergency.’

COULD OTHER FACTORS MAKE IT LESS EFFECTIVE?

Taking certain medications can reduce the effectiveness of the morning-after pill or influence which one you can take, Dr. added.

“Certain medications can reduce the effectiveness of both types of morning-after pills, so you should always discuss any regular medications with a pharmacist or GP,” said Dr Yarlett.

According to Drugs.comThere are more than 245 medications that can interact with the morning-after pill, ranging from mild to severe interactions.

Treatment may become less effective if you take St. John’s wort, medicines for epilepsy, HIV or tuberculosis, or if you are taking certain types of antibiotics.

“If you are taking medications that affect the morning after pill, you can always choose the copper coil,” advised Dr.

According to the GP, the copper coil It is the most effective form of emergency contraception and everyone requesting the morning-after pill must first receive the copper coil, to be placed five days after ovulation.

“The copper coil can then be used long-term as contraception or removed after you have checked that you are not pregnant, as it may not be your first choice of long-term contraceptive,” she explained.

“Women with severe asthma treated with oral steroid tablets cannot take the ellaOne morning-after pill.

“And women who are breastfeeding should not breastfeed directly for a week after taking ellaOne, with advice to “pump and dump” for seven days.”

If you are taking hormonal contraception, you can start taking it immediately after taking the morning-after pill with levonorgestrel, but you must wait five days before restarting contraception if you take ellaOne.

In these cases, you should be offered the copper coil.

HOW YOUR BMI CAN AFFECT YOUR CHOICE OF CONTRACEPTIVE

In addition to making the morning-after pill less effective, your BMI can also impact your choice of contraceptive.

“We know that those with a higher BMI are at an increased risk of blood clots,” Dr. Yarlett told Sun Health.

“As combined hormonal contraception – the pill, patch or vaginal ring – can also slightly increase the risk of blood clots, we need to consider BMI along with other risk factors for blood clots, such as smoking and family. history,” she explained.

“If your BMI is over 30, your nurse, doctor or pharmacist should discuss the risks of taking combined hormonal contraception against the benefits.

“For some people – for example, if your BMI is over 35 – the risk of getting a blood clot is greater than the risk of getting pregnant, so it is advisable to choose a different method.

“All other contraceptive methods are available to people with larger bodies and any BMI – including the progestogen-only pill, coils, implant or injection.”

The GP advised the use of The Lowdown’s To recommend or comparison tools is that you are struggling to choose which contraceptive to take.