The Other Pill

Had unprotected sex but not looking to get pregnant just yet? That’s where the morning-after pill comes in.

- Adora Wong

Even if you make it a point to practise safe sex, accidents can happen. Maybe the condom broke. Or you forgot to take your contraceptive pill the past week. Either way, should you find yourself in these scenarios, don’t freak out – you’re not necessarily on the road to motherhood just yet. There’s time to call on emergency contraception.

An emergency contraceptive pill is typically known as the morning-after pill. Dr Lim Min Yu, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Advanced Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Gleneagles Hospital, says you can only get them via prescription in Singapore, and that there are two types available: ulipristal acetate and levonorgestrel. But before we get into why you might choose one over the other, here’s the low-down on how the morning-after pill generally works.

How it works

A brief recap of biology class: ovulation occurs when a mature egg is released from your ovary and moves down the fallopian tube. It takes place about two weeks before the start of your period and you become pregnant if the egg gets fertilised by a sperm. The morning-after pill works by delaying ovulation for at least five days, but its effectiveness depends on where you are in your menstrual cycle.