Morning After Pill & Copper IUD = Emergency Contraception
Oopsie!! I had an UPSI (UnProtected Sexual Intercourse)!
An episode of UnProtected Sexual Intercourse (UPSI) or “oopsie” has occurred when a condom has not been used or incorrectly used (broke or slipped off during sex) or a reliable form of contraception was not used during sexual intercourse.
This can be a problem on two fronts due to risk of:
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Unplanned pregnancy
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Increased exposure to a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
So, if an UPSI happens to you and you prefer to avoid pregnancy, you should consider emergency contraception.
What you may not know about the Morning After Pill is that it works by delaying ovulation.
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This means that if you've already ovulated before you take the pills (usually 10-16 days before your period), it will be ineffective!
Morning After Pills
People commonly think of emergency contraception as the “morning after pill”, but it's important to note that the emergency contraceptive pill can be taken later than the ‘morning after".
Depending on the type of emergency contraception taken, it can be used for up to 3 to 5 days after unprotected sex. the sooner it is taken the more effective it is.
In Australia there are two types of morning after pill:
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Levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pill (LNG pill). This can be bought over-the-counter at a pharmacy without seeing a doctor. It needs to be taken within three days of the episode of unprotected sex (72 hrs) and is approx 85% effective.
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Uipristal Acetate emergency contraceptive pill (UPA pill). This type of pill can also be bought over-the-counter at a pharmacy without seeing a doctor .It needs to be taken within five days (120 hrs) of the UPSI. It is about 95% effective.
Non hormonal IUD (Copper IUD ) is the most effective emergency contraception. It is not affected by your ovulation and provides ongoing reliable contraception for at least five years.
Copper IUD
A copper IUD needs to be inserted within five days of your UPSI by a trained health professional, and is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.
It can be inserted as an awake procedure or under sedation here at Clinic 66.
The best thing about the copper IUD is the ongoing highly reliable contraception, which it provides for 5 to 10 years (depending on which device is used).
It can also be removed at any time if you want it out, or if you want to get pregnant.
For more information about the copper IUD, please see our Non Hormonal IUD FAQ sheet.
UPSI and STI Risk
Condoms can help prevent STIs, but do not provide complete protection against STIs or pregnancy. However, they are the best protection against STIs that we currently have available.
If a condom breaks or comes off, or if there is a sexual assault, then you should discuss your risk of exposure to an STI with your doctor, to see if any additional investigations or treatment are required.
