What is Levonelle One Step?
Levonelle One Step is an emergency contraceptive that can be used after unprotected sex or where a contraceptive method has failed. This type of contraception is often called 'the morning after pill'.
Each pack of Levonelle One Step contains a complete treatment which is one round, white tablet. The tablet contains 1500 microgram of levonorgestrel, which is the active ingredient.
Levonelle One Step also contains the inactive ingredients: potato starch, maize starch, colloidal silica anhydrous, magnesium stearate (E572), talc (E533b), lactose monohydrate.
How does the Levonelle morning after pill work?
Levonelle One Step prevents about 84% of expected pregnancies when it is taken within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex. Levonelle One Step will not prevent a pregnancy in every instance, but the tablet is more effective the sooner after unprotected sex it is taken (it is better to take it within 12 hours rather than delay until the third day).
The Levonelle One Step morning after pill is thought to work by:
- stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg
- preventing sperm from fertilising any egg you may have already released; or
- stopping a fertilised egg from attaching itself to your womb lining.
So Levonelle One Step stops pregnancy before it is established. It does not work if you are already pregnant.
How often can you use Levonelle One Step?
You should only use Levonelle One Step in emergencies and not as a regular method of contraception. If Levonelle One Step is used more than once in a menstrual cycle it is more likely to upset your menstrual cycle (period).
Levonelle One Step does not work as well as regular methods of contraception. Your doctor, practice nurse or family planning clinic can tell you about long-term methods of contraception which are more effective in preventing you from getting pregnant.