Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills
Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills (cOCP) or combined OCP, bring together 2 hormones (estro..
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Ella is an emergency contraception pill, sometimes referred to as a “morning-after pill,” that works by stopping or preventing the release of an egg to be fertilized by a sperm in order to prevent pregnancy. Read More
Simply take 1 pill as soon as possible within 5 days (120 hours). Although Ella works up to 5 days after having unprotected sex, it is recommended that you take the pill ASAP because most emergency contraceptive pills do not work as well to prevent pregnancy after ovulation occurs (this is when the egg comes out). The sooner you take Ella, the better it will work.
Note: stop using any hormonal birth control methods 5 days after taking Ella, and instead use a reliable barrier method (condoms, diaphragms) if you do engage in sex during that window. Progesterone, found in hormonal contraception, blocks the efficacy of Ella.
Ella has 30 mg of ulipristal acetate. Ella is a Progestin Receptor Modulator. Ella is non-hormonal.
Some side effects reported by women who used Ella are: nausea, lower abdominal cramps, tiredness, headache, dizziness, breast tenderness, vomiting, and a period that is early, late, lighter or heavier.
Some women may experience changes in their menstrual cycle after taking Ella. If your period is more than 1 week late, we recommend you to take a pregnancy test and follow up with your primary care provider because it’s possible you might be pregnant.
Do NOT take this if :
Note: please STOP any progestin containing medications (birth control pill, patch, ring) for 5 days AFTER taking this. If you do add progestin via the birth control pill, patch, ring, it decreases the effectiveness of Ella. Abstain from heterosexual sexual intercourse or use condoms if you do decide to have heterosexual sexual intercourse.
To get Ella you need a prescription. You can call your Doctor’s office and request to have a prescription for it sent with your birth control to a pharmacy. If you are in the states of AZ, CA, CO, GA, WA, FL, MI, NV, NY, TX, WY, IL, TN, or PA Pandia Health’s expert doctors are happy to write a prescription and send it to a local pharmacy of your choice so you can pick up the medication asap or Pandia Health can deliver it by mail for future use in case of emergencies.
Ella is about 85% effective at preventing pregnancies when taken within 5 days. That means around 7 out of 8 people who take it as directed will not become pregnant.
Ella price is about $39 if you are paying out of pocket. In most cases, Ella should be $0, no copay, no deductible for most US insurances.
Ella is a single pill that needs to be taken within 120 hours (5 days) of having unprotected sex. The sooner it is taken, the better the medication will work to prevent pregnancy. Pandia Health recommends keeping an extra pack of Ella in your house to ensure timely access in case of emergency.
You should take Ella every time you had unprotected sex, the regular birth control method you were using failed, or you forgot to take birth control. Examples are:
You can take Ella every time you have an oopsie. We don’t recommend using it on a regular basis since other birth control methods are more effective (Implant, IUD, Pill, Ring, Patch, Shot, Condom). Using Ella can also change your menstrual cycle (generally for just 1 cycle) and if you use Ella often, that will make it harder to keep track of when you’ve missed your period. Ella should be used only for emergencies and not as a method of birth control.
Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills (cOCP) or combined OCP, bring together 2 hormones (estro..
Medically reviewed by Sophia Yen, MD, MPH – Written by Pandia Health Editorial Team M..