We have a lot of information for you on the Emergency Pill. Read the information first before you go through all the Frequently asked questions.

1. Information about the Lydia PostPil
2. General information about the Emergency Pill

The following side effects may occur in women who take an emergency contraceptive, such as Lydia Postpil:

1. Menstrual changes e.g. heavier or lighter bleeding
2. Nausea
3. Lower abdominal pain
4. Fatigue
5. Headache
6. Dizziness
7. Breast tenderness
8. Delay of menses (>7 days)

These symptoms may be treated symptomatically and usually resolve within a few days. *Take note that these side effects are normal and nothing to worry about. However, the postpil is not meant for regular use. Lydia recommends you to go for a more regular method like the Daily Oral Contraceptive Pill.

Emergency contraceptive pill is mostly 95% effective if taken with the first 24 hours and becomes less effective as more time passes.

Emergency contraceptives like Lydia Postpil prevent pregnancy by delaying ovulation and are most effective within the first 24 hours (1day) of unprotected sex. As a result, if you have taken Lydia Postpil and have unprotected sex again, you may be at risk of pregnancy because active sperm could be waiting in the fallopian tubes when the egg is eventually released, therefore another dose of Lydia Postpil can be taken to ensure prevention of pregnancy. Please note that even if multiple acts of unprotected sex occur in a day, Lydia Postpil should not be taken more than once within 24 hours. Subsequently, it is recommended you begin a regular short or long term method of contraception the day after taking Lydia Postpil and you should consult a healthcare professional for advice on choosing a method. The pill may not work effectively if taken continuously.

The emergency pill must be taken within 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex if the woman is not in her safe period. The sooner it is taken, the more effective it is. It is most effective if it is taken within the first 24 hours after unprotected sex especially during ovulation.

Yes, you can use the emergency pill if something has gone wrong with your usual form of contraception, for example a forgotten pill or split condom.

No. Nearly all other contraceptive methods are more effective in preventing pregnancy. A woman who uses ECPs regularly for contraception is more likely to have an unintended pregnancy than a woman who uses another contraceptive regularly. Still, women using other methods of contraception should know about ECPs and how to obtain them if needed—for example, if a condom breaks or a woman misses 2 or more daily oral contraceptive pills. Besides the regular contraceptives are cheaper, easy to use and more reliable.

No, the pill contains either a combination of estrogen and progestin or progestin only, and works by delaying or inhibiting ovulation. It is not a method of abortion.

Repeated administration within a menstrual cycle is not advisable because of the possibility of disturbance of the cycle. The emergency pill should not be relied on as a regular form of contraception, and it is not as effective as other forms of hormonal contraception specifically made for regular use - it is only intended as a back-up.

No. ECPs do not work if a woman is already pregnant. When taken before a woman has ovulated, ECPs prevent the release of an egg from the ovary or delay its release by 5 to 7 days. By then, any sperm in the woman's reproductive tract will have died, since sperm can survive there for only about 6 days.

Good evidence shows that ECPs will not cause birth defects and will not otherwise harm the fetus if a woman is already pregnant when she takes ECPs or if ECPs fail to prevent pregnancy.