Emergency Contraception

You may take emergency contraception in any of the following situations:

• Prevention of pregnancy following unprotected sexual intercourse
• In event of possible contraception failure or incorrect contraception use e.g.
• Condom breakage or slippage
• Missed doses of the birth control pill
• Concerns of failure or delayed doses of any other forms of contraception

Your doctor will speak to you to determine if emergency contraception is suitable for you and may ask you some questions to ensure you are currently not already pregnant. You should inform your doctor if you have other medical problems or are taking other long-term medications as some may potentially interact with or affect the efficacy of oral emergency contraception.

If you are a mother who is currently breastfeeding, you can still take emergency oral contraception, but you may have to discard your breast milk for up to a week after.

Delaying or Preventing Ovulation

The most commonly offered forms of oral emergency contraception in Singapore include Postinor and Ella.

Success Rates of 95% and Beyond

The most common side effects of emergency oral contraception are nausea and vomiting. If vomiting occurs within 2-3 hours after taking the pill, a second dose of the pill may be required.

Other common side effects of emergency oral contraception include abdominal cramping, as well as changes in one’s menstrual bleeding patterns e.g. spotting. Your menses should still come within a week from the expected date. Exceptional delay of menses may be a sign of pregnancy and did a urine pregnancy test would be warranted.

Not More Than Once within a Menstrual Cycle or a Month

If you have had to take emergency oral contraception multiple times, you may wish to consider the alternative, regular forms of contraception. These may range from short-acting methods in the form of birth control pills and hormone patches, to longer-term reversible methods such as implant and intrauterine devices (IUD).

Aside from emergency oral contraception, other similar contraceptive methods available include the copper-bearing intrauterine device (IUD), which is inserted into the womb and functions as a form of contraception AND long term reversible contraception (lasting several years).