Dr Jacqueline Coombe

But what about the physical cost and the emotional cost and all that stuff as well which comes into it?

when you're thinking about, yeah, what contraceptive method you want to do.

It comes in to it for all contraceptive methods.

Yeah.

So I guess it's not a routine form of contraception.

You don't want it to be the main thing you rely on.

Yes.

But yeah, absolutely is accessible.

So I guess the main thing is that you can go to a chemist to get the morning after pill, also called emergency contraception, whenever you need it.

You don't need a script.

You don't need to go to your GP.

Just rock up to your chemist and say, hey, I need it.

And they should be able to give it to you.

You need to get it as soon as possible.

So as soon as you realize that something has happened, go and get it.

because it's more effective the sooner, the closer to unprotected sex or sex that wasn't as protected as you had hoped it had been.

So do that as soon as possible.

The other thing that people don't know, and it's a little bit trickier to do, but you can also use the copper IUD as emergency contraception.

So if you can get access to that within, I think it's within five days of unprotected sex, that is a really good form of emergency contraception as well, and then is ongoing contraception.

Whereas the morning after pill, you take it and that's it.