Emergency Contraceptives
If you’re a sexually active girl, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced a pregnancy scare. Maybe your period came a week late after you and your boyfriend ditched the condom. Or you hooked up drunk and forgot to use one.
While most of us know we should practice safe sex, I know many who don’t because “it feels better”. Then they create unnecessary stress for themselves by worrying about the consequences after.
If your condom slipped, broke, or you bodoh and didn’t even use birth control in the first place, here’s a guide to getting emergency contraceptives in Singapore for those who aren’t ready to become preggers.
*The information in this article on contraceptives in Singapore is provided by WTF! zine.
Contents
The Morning-After Pill
What the pill does:
The morning-after pill does not cause abortion. Instead, the pill interferes with the release of a mature egg from the ovaries or affects the uterine lining to prevent fertilised eggs from implanting.
While oral contraceptives and the pill works in similar ways, the pill contains a much stronger dosage. The pill should not be used as a replacement for regular contraceptives.
There are two brands of morning after-pills available: Postinor and Ella.
Postinor has two doses of hormones which should be taken 12 hours apart, within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. The pill has an 88% success rate of reducing the risk of pregnancy, and a 95% success rate if taken within first 24 hours.
Ella has only one dose and is effective up to 120 hours after intercourse. Its ability to reduce the risk of pregnancy doesn’t decline with a delay in treatment.
Possible side effects:
Headache, breast tenderness, dizziness, fatigue, nausea and/or vomiting. Vaginal bleeding a few days after taking the tablet. If you vomited a couple of hours after taking the pill, consult your doctor to take another tablet.
How to get:
You’ll have to visit the gynae or your neighbourhood general practitioner to obtain a prescription. From personal experience, the pills are easily available and the doctor will give you advice on wearing a condom. Only women can get the prescription and you’ll have to be at least 16 years old.
Cost: $10 to $50, depending on the type of pill and excluding the doctor’s fee. However, a reader tipped us off that most GPs mark up the S$3 Postinor pill to S$15. What you can do is get a doctor’s prescription for Postinor, and then head to a Guardian pharmacy to buy the pill at a lower price.
If you’re in Thailand, know you can get Postinor for ~S$1.80 from over-the-counter pharmacies like Watsons. Oral contraceptives like Yasmin are dispensed for half the price (~S$16 in Thailand as compared to $33 in Singapore), and do not require a doctor’s prescription as well.
Also read:
15 Singaporean Girls Reveal How Quickly They’d Sleep With Men
IUD (Intrauterine Device)
What IUDs do:
IUDs are a small ‘T’ shaped device inserted into the uterus. They are a reversible, long-term form of contraception. Even if your partner cums in you, the IUD has more than a 99% success rate.
There are a few types of IUDs but only copper IUDs can function as an emergency contraception as copper is a natural spermicide. The copper IUD should be inserted within five days after intercourse.
Even if you’re not looking for emergency contraception, copper IUDs are a highly reliable form of birth control and can last up to 12 years.
Possible side effects:
Expulsion of the IUD, pelvic infections, cramping, backaches, spotting between periods, irregular or heavier periods. Rarely, ectopic pregnancies and uterine perforation.
How to get:
Call up a private gynae or public hospitals like KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital to book your appointment.
Inserting the implant takes about 10 minutes. However, the procedure can be uncomfortable so take some Panadol before your appointment.
Cost: $300 to $600
Practising Safe Sex With Contraceptives In Singapore
Singapore’s sex education touts abstinence but let’s be real, teenagers are increasingly having premarital sex.
Still, part of being an adult is to know how to control your reproductive abilities and take care of your sexual health.
Also, while emergency contraceptives can prevent accidental children, they do nothing to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. So wrap it before you tap it!
This article was first published on 8 May 2018 and last updated on 31 October 2023.
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