You may not know it, but sperm can live for up to 5 days inside a woman's body.2 ella works to help prevent pregnancy by delaying ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary) for 5 days.1,3 ella may also work by preventing attachment to the uterus.1

ella is an emergency contraceptive. It reduces your chance of becoming pregnant if you have a birth control failure or unprotected sex. ella is effective at helping to prevent pregnancy with just one pill. When taken as directed, ella reduces the chance that you will get pregnant. And in clinical studies, most women did not become pregnant when they used ella.1

You should take ella as soon as possible after unprotected sex or birth
control failure.1

ella gives you the extra time you may need because unlike other emergency contraceptives—Plan B® One-Step and Next Choice®— ella is FDA approved for use up to 5 days after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. Other emergency contraceptives are only approved to be taken within 3 days of unprotected sex.1,4,5

ella 30-mg tablet is not an abortion pill, and is not for use to end an existing pregnancy.1 The abortion pill, sometimes called RU-486 or Mifeprex®, works by terminating an early pregnancy.6 If used as directed, emergency contraceptives do not work the same way as Mifeprex.

To learn how ella works, click here.

Mifeprex is a registered trademark of Danco Laboratories, LLC.
Next Choice is a registered trademark of Watson Pharma, Inc.
Plan B is a registered trademark of Women's Capital Corporation, a subsidiary of Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


+-References

  1. ella® prescribing information. Morristown, NJ: Watson Pharma, Inc. August 2010.
  2. Gould JE, Overstreet JW, Hanson FW. Assessment of human sperm function after recovery from the female reproductive tract. Biol Reprod. 1984;31(5):888-894.
  3. Brache V, Cochon L, Jesam C, et al. Immediate pre-ovulatory administration of 30 mg ulipristal acetate significantly delays follicular rupture. Hum Reprod. 2010;25(9):2256-2263.
  4. Plan B® One-Step prescribing information. Pomona, NY: Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. August 2009.
  5. Next Choice® prescribing information. Corona, CA: Watson Pharma, Inc. August 2009.
  6. Mifeprex® prescribing information. New York, NY: Danco Laboratories, LLC. July 2005.
  7. Morning-after pill (emergency contraception). Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill-4363.html. Accessed October 5, 2010.

ella is a prescription emergency contraceptive that reduces your chance of becoming pregnant if your birth control fails or you have unprotected sex.

Important Safety Information

The most common side effects of ella (ulipristal acetate) tablets include headache, stomach pain, nausea, menstrual pain, tiredness, and dizziness. You should not take ella if you know or suspect you are already pregnant, and ella should not replace your regular birth control method. Do not use ella more than one time in the same menstrual cycle. ella is not for use to end an existing pregnancy. If you become pregnant or have lower stomach pain after taking ella, you should be evaluated for an ectopic pregnancy. ella may cause your period to be earlier or later than expected. If your period is more than a week late, you should get a pregnancy test. After taking ella, you are likely to be fertile again very quickly, thus, you should continue or start using a regular birth control method as soon as possible to prevent pregnancy. ella will not protect you against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.

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