ella®: The New Emergency Contraceptive
ella®, now available in the U.S., is a revolutionary new prescription morning after pill that reduces your chance of becoming pregnant if your birth control fails or you have unprotected sex. In 2010 the FDA approved ella® as an emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) that is effective for up to 5 days after intercourse.
Choosing a Morning After Pill – ella® vs. Plan B One-Step®
ella® is available in just one dose and this morning after pill does not lose effectiveness throughout the 120 hours. In fact, ella® is thought to be an even more effective morning after pill than Plan B One-Step® in pregnancy prevention. The chances of becoming pregnant after taking the morning after pill ella® are 1 in 50, rather than 1 in 40 with Plan B One-Step®. Without any form of emergency contraception, the chances of becoming pregnant as a result of unprotected intercourse are 1 in 20.
| ella® | Plan-B One-step® | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | a morning after pill available in the U.S. by prescription only. Many pharmacies do not yet stock ella® but KwikMed is the exclusive online distributer for ella®. Morning after pill orders are shipped overnight. | a morning after pill available over-the-counter at some local pharmacies if you are 17 or older. If you are 16 or younger you can only receive this medication through a prescription. Not all pharmacies carry the Plan B One-Step® pill. |
| Effectiveness | decreases likeliness of pregnancy to 1 in 50. Works for up to 5 days (120 hours) and does not decrease in effectiveness during the 5 days. | decreases likeliness of pregnancy to 1 in 40. Works for up to 3 days (72 hours) but should be taken as soon as possible since effectiveness decreases steadily over the 72 hour period. |
| Dosing | 1 pill containing 30mg of ulipristal acetate | 1 pill containing 1.5mg of levonorgestrel |
| Cost | [price] online – includes physician fee. | Between $35 and $60 |
How ella® Works
The pill ella® works by inhibiting or delaying ovulation, essentially delaying the release of the egg and prohibiting it from joining with the sperm. Sperm can live in the reproductive tract of a woman for 5 days and ella® delays ovulation throughout this period. The morning after pill ella® is not effective in women who are already pregnant and should not be used by those who knowingly are pregnant. ella® can be taken at any time during the monthly menstrual cycle, including just before ovulation – the time when you are most fertile and likely to get pregnant.
There is no long-term impact on a woman’s fertility if she would like to become pregnant in the future after taking the morning after pill ella®. Emergency contraception is not intended for continual, routine use and is only for use in women who have experienced, or suspect they may have experienced, contraceptive failure.