Some will speak of trivialization, others will see it as progress. A second emergency contraceptive pill, based on ulipristal acetate (ellaOne), is now freely available in pharmacies, we learn The Parisian. “It is therefore all oral emergency contraception that becomes accessible without a prescription”, specifies journalist Christine Mateus.
It is a decision of the European Commission which today allows this direct access to this drug. After the Norlevo, the ellaOne completes the range made available to women. It can act within five days of having sex, compared to 72 hours for Norlevo. But its effectiveness is optimal within 24 hours: the risk of pregnancy is divided by six, underlines the daily. It is only reimbursed (65%) within the framework of a medical prescription. In free access, its price is €19.70.
By the way, The Parisian counters the received idea that the use of this pill would be a sign of irresponsibility on the part of women. It is rather a question of panic, of racing against the clock when the condom breaks or when the classic contraception has been forgotten. “The women who find themselves in this situation are always in enormous disarray, with a decision, whatever it is, always difficult to make”, insists Dr. Sabine Guffroy, gynecologist-sexologist in Lille, in the newspaper.
Proof of this real progress, today, one in three pregnancies is unwanted compared to 50% in the 1970s.
Finally, last argument, emergency contraception is not a voluntary termination of pregnancy. It inhibits ovulation and thus prevents fertilization with sperm. Vomiting, nausea, bleeding can then occur. These effects should lead the woman to seek medical advice.
