New podcast aims to tackle the stigma of the morning after pill

'There are more myths and mysteries surrounding emergency contraception than in your average Sherlock Holmes story'

(Joe Plimmer)

In 2019, the fight to tackle the stigma surrounding female sexuality rages on, with everything from smear tests to masturbation being tackled in recent campaigns.

The latest sexual taboo to be addressed is emergency contraception via the launch of a new podcast dedicated to dismantling the unhelpful and unwarranted stigma attached to taking the morning after pill.

My Morning After, created by emergency contraception brand ellaOne, is a four-part series hosted by broadcaster and sex education writer Alix Fox.

Each episode features personal stories from journalists, activists and healthcare professionals, all of whom share their stories and advice on emergency contraception.

Guests include activist Gina Martin, Period author Natalie Byrne and Dr Annabel Sowemimo, founder of the Decolonising Contraception collective.

Topics discussed in the episodes include double standards surrounding birth control and how we can combat feelings of embarrassment when discussing contraception with a partner.

The stigma surrounding emergency contraception results in misinformation regarding how it works and how to use it, notes Fox. “There are more myths and mysteries surrounding emergency contraception than in your average Sherlock Holmes story,” the broadcaster tells The Independent.

Even the phrase “morning after pill” is deceptive, Fox explains, pointing out that most emergency contraceptive pills can be taken a few days after intercourse and still be effective. There are two types of morning after pill available in the UK – ellaOne and levonorgestrel. ellaOne can be effective up to 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex, while levonorgestrel can be effective for up to 72 hours (three days). But both pills are more effective the sooner you take them.

“You can also have an intrauterine device (IUD, or ‘coil’) fitted within 120 hours of unprotected sex,” Fox continues. “All this means that if you can’t get to a pharmacy, hospital or doctor’s surgery straight away – for example, because you’re on holiday, or didn’t clock until a little later on that you’d accidentally missed some of your usual contraceptive pills – you still have some leeway.”

(ellaOne/MyMorningAfter (ellaOne/MyMorningAfter)

There’s also a harmful belief attached to emergency contraception in that it’s something only “irresponsible” or “loose” individuals seek out after a regrettable encounter, adds Fox.

“Nobody should be given a heavy rucksack of judgement to carry along with their paper prescription bag,” she adds, “and yet they so often are, and the worry, humiliation and guilt associated with this judgment can loom so large for some that it prevents them obtaining the medication they want.”

The launch of My Morning After follows a series of sex positive podcasts aimed at championing female sexual health and pleasure, such as Guys we F***ed, Unexpected Fluids and Laidbare.

Just last week the BBC launched a new podcast aimed at opening up conversations surrounding sex among British Asian women.

“Brown Girls Do It Too”, hosted by Poppy Jay, Roya Eslami and Rubina Pabani, is a discussion-based podcast addressing topics such as masturbation, virginity and orgasms.

By launching the podcast, the three women hope they will tackle some of the taboos about female sexuality in their respective cultures.

You can download the My Morning After podcast series, brought to you by ellaOne, from: Apple, Audioboom, CastBox, Deezer, ihEART, Radio.com, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud and TuneIn.