Pill with strong side-effects

THE morning-after pill prevents or delays ovulation after a woman has had sex, meaning an egg is not released or fertilised to make a baby.

Side-effects include sickness, dizziness, abdominal and back pain, diarrhoea, extreme tiredness and in rare cases, if the pill fails, ectopic pregnancy – which can be fatal for both mother and child.

The NHS offers two pills, which cannot be taken by asthma sufferers.

Levonelle contains a powerful synthetic hormone that blocks egg production or cuts the odds of an egg implanting in the womb. EllaOne affects how the hormone progesterone is processed.

In the UK, morning-after pills can be bought by anyone over 16, but some pharmacists have started to sell it to younger girls following NHS guidance two years ago.

It is usually free in GP surgeries and NHS family planning clinics, but many women go to a high-street chemist as they are unable to get an appointment in time.

The pill can be bought from chemists only after a consultation with a pharmacist. Many women find this judgmental and embarrassing because they are quizzed about their sex life. Boots said it asks about ‘full medical history and any potential drug interactions’.

Two years ago, NHS guidance was relaxed to make the morning-after pill available to under-16s. EllaOne and Levonelle were already given to young women by many pharmacists, but the ruling was the first nationwide licensing.