Emergency Contraception in Patong, Phuket: Morning-After Pill, ellaOne and Copper IUD
Same-day morning-after pill (Postinor, Madonna), 5-day ellaOne (ulipristal) by prescription, and copper-IUD coordination at Bangkok Hospital Phuket. Confidential, no judgment, no consultation needed for over-the-counter levonorgestrel. Walk-in or hotel-room visits across Patong, Kalim, Kamala and Karon. Clinically reviewed by the Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic medical team.
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The people who message us about emergency contraception are almost always on holiday, calm in their tone but watching a clock they did not expect to watch. A condom slipped, a pill was missed, or the night went somewhere unplanned. Our medical team treats this as a time-sensitive clinical question, not a moral one. The right choice depends on how many hours have passed, your weight, what other medication you are on, and whether you want ongoing contraception afterwards. We will give you a clear answer in one short consultation, in clinic or at your hotel.
Your three options
Three forms of emergency contraception are used in Thailand, and the right one depends mostly on the hours since unprotected sex. Levonorgestrel 1.5 mg (LNG) is a single oral dose sold under the brand names Postinor, Madonna and Plan B. It is licensed up to 72 hours, is most effective inside 24 hours, and prevents around 85% of expected pregnancies. It is available over the counter from most 7-Eleven branches, Boots, Watsons and Thai pharmacies, with no prescription required. Ulipristal acetate 30 mg (UPA, brand ellaOne) is a single oral dose that works up to 120 hours, around 5 days, and is more effective than levonorgestrel between hour 72 and hour 120. It is prescription only and we dispense it from this clinic. The copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD) is the most effective option of all, around 99%, inserted by a gynaecologist within 5 days of unprotected sex. It then doubles as ongoing contraception for 5 to 10 years. We do not insert IUDs on site but we coordinate same-week placement at Bangkok Hospital Phuket and brief you through the appointment.
How emergency contraception works
Both levonorgestrel and ulipristal work by delaying or inhibiting ovulation, the release of the egg from the ovary. If the egg has not yet been released, the sperm has nothing to fertilise and pregnancy cannot start. The copper IUD works mainly by stopping fertilisation through a copper-ion effect on sperm. Emergency contraception is not an abortion pill, and this is a point our team makes clearly on every visit. It does not disrupt an established pregnancy or harm a fertilised egg that has already implanted. The medical literature, WHO, NICE and the UK Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare are explicit on this point. The closer you take the pill to the moment of ovulation, the less effective it becomes, which is why timing matters so much. Inside 24 hours, levonorgestrel prevents the large majority of pregnancies. By hour 72 the effect is much smaller, and ulipristal or a copper IUD become the better choices.
Options compared
| Feature | Levonorgestrel (Postinor, Plan B) | Ulipristal (ellaOne) | Copper IUD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window after sex | Up to 72 hours, best inside 24 hours. | Up to 120 hours, 5 days. | Up to 5 days, some guidelines 7 days. |
| Effectiveness | Around 85% if taken on time. | More effective than LNG, especially after 72 hours. | Around 99%, the most effective option. |
| Access | Over the counter, 7-Eleven, pharmacies, our clinic. | Prescription, dispensed at our clinic. | Gynaecologist, we refer to Bangkok Hospital Phuket. |
| Weight consideration | Less effective at BMI above 30. | Less effective at BMI above 35. | Effective regardless of weight. |
| Ongoing contraception | No, use barrier method for the rest of the cycle. | No, and delay starting hormonal contraception for 5 days. | Yes, 5 to 10 years of cover. |
After you take it
Side effects are usually mild and short-lived. Around one in ten women feel nauseated for a few hours, and headache, fatigue, breast tenderness and a low cramping pain are common. If you vomit within 3 hours of swallowing the tablet, the dose may not have absorbed and you should repeat it, or switch to ulipristal if it has been longer. Your next period may arrive up to a week early or up to a week late, and the bleed itself may be lighter or heavier than usual. If your period is more than 7 days late, take a home pregnancy test, and message us if it is positive or if you are unsure how to read it. Emergency contraception gives no protection for the rest of the cycle, so use condoms until your next period. Certain medications reduce the effect of hormonal emergency contraception, in particular the antibiotic rifampicin, the epilepsy drugs phenytoin and carbamazepine, and the herbal supplement St John’s Wort. If you are on any of these, the copper IUD is the safer choice. For breastfeeding mothers, levonorgestrel is considered safe, while ulipristal requires pump-and-discard milk for 24 hours.
When to see a doctor
Most people who use the morning-after pill do not need a doctor visit, the over-the-counter tablet and a follow-up pregnancy test are enough. The situations that do need same-day clinical input are sexual assault, possible HIV exposure inside 72 hours, severe abdominal pain after the dose, and very heavy bleeding. The first two are emergencies and should be acted on the same hour.
Sexual assault, including any uncertainty about consent, where forensic evidence, a medico-legal report and HIV PEP all become time-critical. Possible HIV exposure within the last 72 hours, where HIV PEP must be started fast. Severe one-sided lower abdominal pain in the weeks after a positive pregnancy test, which can mean an ectopic pregnancy. Heavy vaginal bleeding soaking more than one pad per hour. Any sign of allergic reaction to the tablet, rash, facial swelling or breathing trouble.
You are more than 72 hours from exposure, your BMI is above 30, you are on enzyme-inducing medication, or you want ongoing contraception. A 15-minute confidential consult covers ulipristal, a copper-IUD referral, daily pill prescription, and a discreet STI screen, all in one visit. WhatsApp +66 95 073 5550 any time, day or night.
Prevention and after-care
Emergency contraception is a backstop, not a method. If you find yourself using it more than once a trip, the next step is a regular form of cover, and we prescribe all of them. The combined oral contraceptive pill, the progestogen-only “mini” pill, the 3-monthly Depo-Provera injection, the 3-year etonogestrel implant (Implanon, Nexplanon), the 5-year hormonal IUD (Mirena) and the 5 to 10 year copper IUD are all available, the implants and IUDs through our gynaecology referral. Emergency contraception gives no protection against sexually transmitted infections, so we recommend a chlamydia and gonorrhoea PCR swab or urine test 2 weeks after the exposure and an HIV test at 12 weeks, with syphilis included on the same panel. If the contact carried any HIV risk, do not wait for the 12-week test, message us inside 72 hours for PEP.
Summary
Emergency contraception in Patong is straightforward when you act early. Levonorgestrel is available without prescription within 72 hours, ulipristal works out to 5 days by prescription, and the copper IUD is 99% effective up to 5 days and gives years of ongoing cover. None of these is an abortion pill. Side effects are mild, the next period may shift by up to a week, and a pregnancy test at 3 weeks confirms the result. Our medical team handles the visit confidentially, with no judgment, plain receipts and discreet WhatsApp follow-up.
“There is no moral test at our clinic for the morning-after pill. There is only a clock, a weight, a medication list and a follow-up plan. We will give you the right option for the time elapsed and we will not write anything down that you do not want written down.”
Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic medical team
Frequently asked questions
Does the morning-after pill cause an abortion?
No. Levonorgestrel and ulipristal both work by delaying or stopping ovulation, the release of the egg. If the egg has not been released, no sperm can fertilise it. Neither tablet disrupts an established pregnancy or harms a fertilised egg that has already implanted. This is the explicit position of the World Health Organization, the UK Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Can I take emergency contraception twice in the same cycle?
Yes, levonorgestrel can be taken more than once in a cycle if a second exposure happens. Do not combine levonorgestrel and ulipristal in the same cycle because they can blunt each other. Repeated use is safe but it is a sign that a regular method, a daily pill, an implant or an IUD, would protect you better and cost less. We can prescribe any of these at the same visit.
What if I vomit after taking the morning-after pill?
If you vomit within 3 hours of swallowing the tablet, the dose may not have absorbed and you should repeat it. If it has been longer than 3 hours, the medication is in your system and no repeat is needed. If you cannot keep a second dose down, message us and we will switch you to ulipristal or arrange a copper IUD, both of which work for longer than levonorgestrel.
Does my weight affect the morning-after pill?
Yes, to a degree. Levonorgestrel is less effective at a BMI above 30, and ulipristal is less effective at a BMI above 35. The copper IUD is fully effective at any weight and is the option we recommend if your BMI is above 30 and you are inside the 5-day window. If you are unsure of your BMI, message us your height and weight and we will tell you which option is the best fit.
When will my period come after emergency contraception?
Your next period can be up to a week earlier or up to a week later than expected, and the bleed itself may be lighter or heavier than usual. Light spotting in the days after the tablet is also common. If your period is more than 7 days late, take a home pregnancy test. If the test is positive, or if you are unsure, message us and we will arrange a clinic visit and an ultrasound if needed.
Should I get tested for sexually transmitted infections afterwards?
If the contact was unprotected or the condom failed, yes. We recommend a chlamydia and gonorrhoea PCR test at 2 weeks, with syphilis and HIV on the same panel at 12 weeks. If the contact carried HIV risk, do not wait. Message us inside 72 hours and we will start HIV PEP the same visit. Results are sent to your personal WhatsApp, never to a hotel desk.
Sources
World Health Organization. Emergency contraception fact sheet. who.int.
Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (UK). FSRH Clinical Guideline: Emergency Contraception. fsrh.org.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NICE Guideline NG183: Contraception. nice.org.uk/guidance/ng183.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use. cdc.gov/contraception/hcp/usspr.
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