Emergency contraception (often called morning-after-pill) is a pill that you can take after you've had unprotected intercourse, to reduce the risk of pregnancy. The sooner you take the pill, the less likely you are to get pregnant.
The morning-after pill is used to prevent pregnancy before it begins. It contains a hormone that delays and/or inhibits the ovulation from happening and prevents you from getting pregnant. Emergency contraception’s can't interrupt a pregnancy and is therefore not the same as an abortion.
Note: the morning-after pill will not protect your from sexually transmitted deceases - STI's.
When to take emergency contraception?
The sooner you take the morning-after pill, the less likely you are to become pregnant. You can, however, take the morning-after pill up to 72 hours (three days) after unprotected intercourse. A midwife can also give you a morning-after pill that can be taken up to five days after unprotected intercourse.
Where can I get emergency contraception in Sweden?
You can buy both kinds of the morning-after pill without a prescription in all pharmacies in Sweden. Most youth clinics in Sweden distribute free emergency contraception to young people (under 23 years of age).
DOZ apotek* a well known pharmacy in Sweden, with physical stores in over 40 locations around the country as well as an online store. It provides plenty of services:
- you can pick up your electronic prescription by logging in to their online shop with your BankID.
- Broad assortment – online and in the physical pharmacies.
- Fast deliveries and multiple shipping options
- Partner with the online doctor KRY*, and also offer KRY rooms in several of our pharmacies including priority access to meet experienced doctors for advice & prescription renewals.
MEDS* is a mobile pharmacy with fast delivery. They claim to be able to deliver to up to within an hour depending on where you live. Their pharmacist can assist you via email, phone and chat.
Apotek365* is an online pharmacy with products within areas such as health food, vitamins, dietary supplements, over-the-counter medicines, diet, training, pregnancy and pregnancy tests, home drug tests, beauty products and intimate products.
These are just some of the pharmacy chains you find in Sweden and they all provide online solutions so work for all newbies regardless of where in Sweden you live. But you can also just do a search on Google for “apotek + the name of your town” and you will find the nearest physical pharmacies.
Don't take the morning-after-pill if you:
- Suffer from hepatic impairment.
- Have some kind of intestinal/bowel disease (e.g. Crohn).
- Have had a pelvic inflammatory disease or ectopic pregnancy.
Note: Don't use the morning-after pill as a contraceptive method. Use it as an emergency solution and remember that the morning-after pill does not protect you from STI´s.
There have been instances where high BMI and overall body weight can affect the effectiveness of the morning-after pill. As a general rule, it is important to contact your doctor in case of specific questions about this and other issues regarding your health.
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