What they didn’t teach us in school… PT 2

Using case studies from ellaOne’s recent survey to break down what these numbers really mean.

This year we’ve partnered with Brook, the UK’s leading sexual health charity, to help educate young people about their bodies. Learn all about our partnership here.

In light of this partnership, we surveyed 2001 sexually active 16-24 year olds on all things sex and education, posing questions on a variety of subjects including unprotected sex, STIs and their sex education. We also asked our participants to share their raw, uncensored real-life experiences of contraceptive failure, sexual miseducation and unplanned pregnancy. 

What follows is a breakdown of some of the significant data from our survey, alongside anonymised case studies that show how this data translates into real-life experiences. Make sure you’ve read part one first, where we look at contraceptive confusion, stigma and embarrassment. In this part, we look at sex education and unplanned pregnancy. 

While 50% of participants say they have taken emergency contraception, it’s still pretty common to be confused about how the morning after pill, a type of emergency contraception, actually works. We’ve heard a lot of myths in our time, and there’s a lot of misinformation floating around. Let us set the record straight for you: emergency contraceptive pills, like ellaOne, work by delaying ovulation.

How does the morning after pill work?

ellaOne contains the active ingredient ulipristal acetate, which works by delaying or inhibiting ovulation. After sperm have been ejaculated into the vagina, they can live for up to five days. ellaOne can help to prevent pregnancy by delaying ovulation until the sperm dies. As a result, ellaOne, and other emergency contraceptives, will not be effective if you have already ovulated – a fact that many do not know. We know ovulation can be a bit difficult to track, but if you are sexually active we recommend tracking your cycle, especially if you are not on a consistent form of contraception.

Check out What are the signs of ovulation?

Other respondents believed that emergency contraception:
48% – Prevents implantation
26% – Causes a mini abortion
12% – I don’t know

Did you know?

Some of our participants shared stories highlighting their confusion or miseducation about the morning after pill: 

“Until 23 (I’m 24 now) I was unaware of the restrictions of the morning after pill in terms of when in your cycle it’s effective and that there are weight restrictions.”
(ellaOne does not have a weight restriction. See Can you take the morning after pill if you have a high BMI?
Anon

“Condom broke and I was too scared to have the morning after pill because I thought it was a mini abortion and that there would be blood and pain. So I drank, ate deli meat and sushi to try and abort it myself.
Spoke to an online provider about this [and getting]  a morning after pill was very chill and [I am] now educated.”
Anon

There are many reasons why people may not know how emergency contraception works, but the most obvious is a simple lack of education.

A key reason for our partnership with Brook was to ensure teachers and RSE leaders have all the tools to correctly educate young people and make sure that ‘taboo topics’ such as how contraceptives work, are taught effectively from a younger age. 

Another issue is that in an age of ever-growing and changing social media, we are noticing more and more misinformation being spread online. Influencers and content creators are continuously scaremongering and sharing false information on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. 

Our survey showed that 57% of participants have learnt about sex and contraception on the internet, and 54% from social media. However, 35% have learnt something relating to sex education on social media that turned out to be false! Be cautious of following trends or the advice of creators on the internet, and instead turn to trusted, educated sources who will only share true, evidence-backed information and advice. 

Have you ever wrongly believed a piece of sex ed from an influencer or a video online? Or felt let down and left with unanswered questions after your RSE lessons? You wouldn’t be the only one. Some of our participants shared that they wish they had received a better sex education at school, and some shared some slightly concerning stories that leave us wishing they’d had one too:

“I had a condom break and the girl had to jump up and down to prevent getting pregnant.”
Anon

“I did not realise you can get pregnant from pre-cum, I then panicked and had to be convinced by parents to go to a pharmacy to get an emergency contraceptive. This was an awkward conversation to have with parents and healthcare professionals.”
Anon

“I had my first boyfriend at 19 years old. I lost my virginity with him at 20 years old.
We were having protected sex until we decided not to and tried it out without it. Unfortunately my partner didn’t pull out on time and that was my very first experience with thinking about taking the morning after pill.
I didn’t really know what it was until my partner explained it to me. I was a bit scared while researching it on the internet because of the effects and side effects it could have. I didn’t know I would have to go in for a meeting with a nurse when purchasing it so I was a bit nervous.
I wish adults had given me more information about sex education when I was younger so I could have more insight and experience going into my first ever relationship in my 20s.”
Anon 

“I have never needed emergency contraception but I strongly believe sex education in school is in need of improvement.
I became sexually active before I had sex education in school, and believe that if I had received it younger, it would have saved me from some mistakes in my life.”
Anon

“When I was 20, I took the morning after pill and was told ‘if you have already ovulated, it will not work’… being young and naive, I didn’t track my ovulation, or know what it meant! 3 weeks later I had a positive pregnancy test and I now have a 16-month-old.”
Anon

“I was 14 years old and unaware that I could get pregnant the first time.
At this age I had already forgotten about the morning after pill because I had only had a couple of sex ed lessons (these were very rare at school).
Obviously, with forgetting the morning after pill as an option, I didn’t take one and got pregnant at 14.
I was then too scared to see a doctor because of how young I was and just hoped the situation would go away itself, but ended up having to have an abortion.”
Anon

“I misused the pill, got pregnant and then went through a pretty traumatic miscarriage which was very upsetting. I am now much more scared / nervous about contraception and get nervous about having sex with my partner.”
Anon

“I had my first child because I didn’t understand how the pill worked. While I don’t regret keeping the baby, I wish I was educated more so I could have had control over my future.”
Anon

All these case studies are from real people sharing their true experiences, and we have anonymised their words to protect their identity. 

While some of these stats may seem unsurprising and some of the stories relatable, they are all part of a bigger picture. Young people are lacking proper sex education and end up turning elsewhere, leading to a major increase in miseducation, and the cycle continues.

Brook have created a new contraception teaching module, covering all fourteen contraception methods (yep, there are fourteen!). It breaks everything down in a way that is clear, comprehensible and completely medically accurate, designed to help bust myths, build confidence and help young people feel prepared for real-life situations – not just pregnancy prevention. And the best part is this new module will be used by over 44,000 RSE educators across the UK!

Have you got a story to share? Did you experience some side-eye while accessing emergency contraception? Or on the flip side, did you speak to a pharmacist who made you feel comfortable and empowered? We want to hear it. 

Your stories matter. Your voice matters. By sharing your My Morning After story, you can help break the stigma around emergency contraception, and help others feel empowered to take their future into their own hands.

ellaOne® 30mg film-coated tablet contains ulipristal acetate and is indicated for emergency contraception within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure. Always read the label.