Buying the morning-after pill is a stressful process. I should know - I've done it six times. That's six individual trips to the chemist, six humiliating conversations with a man (it's always a man) behind a counter who clearly thinks I'm irresponsible as all hell, and six resentful swipes of my credit card.
For years, I accepted that this was just part of the deal. If I got myself into a situation where I needed emergency contraception, it was entirely my own fault and suffering through the ignominy of a consultation about my sexual history was the price I had to pay. Questions about why I wasn't on the pill? Fine. A look of disbelief when I said that the condom split? All my own fault. Being turned away from pharmacies who refuse to provide the MAP? Perfectly reasonable.
Only it turns out, that's not true. According to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), there is no good reason that you need to have a consultationbefore you buy the morning-after pill, nor is there any reason that you can't buy it ahead of time and keep it at home for an emergency. In other European countries you can buy it over the counter, no questions asked, for less than €10.
Misinformation about the morning-after pill is rife. You might remember rumours from school about how it's actually an abortion, or how you can only take it three times in your life, otherwise it will make you infertile.
None of those rumours are true. The morning-after pill works by preventing or delaying ovulation, so that you cannot get pregnant. There is no limit to the number of times that you can take it, though it can give you some unpleasant side-effects, so most women wouldn't chose to use it on the reg.
Until we completely overhaul the way that women get access to emergency contraception, women will not be able to control whether or not they get pregnant
As well as being hard to get hold of, the pill is overpriced. Last year, Boots, Superdrug and other pharmacies reacted to pressure from BPAS and the media and reduced the price of the pill from around £35, to around £15.99. But, BPAS says that it's still significantly over-priced and should retail for around £5.99.
Grazia spoke to a spokesperson from BPAS, who told us: 'Emergency contraception needs to be reclassified by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) so it can be sold straight from the shelf without a consultation, as it is in other European countries.'
We should all be able to keep a packet of emergency contraception under the sink, in our handbag, wherever we like, and take it as and when we need. As BPAS's spokesperson explains, 'The sooner that emergency contraception is taken, the more effective it is.'
Until we completely overhaul the way that women get access to emergency contraception, women will not be able to control whether or not they get pregnant, and that is not fair or right.
By its very nature, emergency contraception springs up at the least convenient times. I've taken taxis I couldn't afford to hunt for the morning after pill in towns I don't know. I've turned up an hour late for work because of the queue in the pharmacy. I've embarrassed everyone in a tiny village chemist by announcing that I've had a contraceptive failure and I need help.
There is no good medical reason that any woman should ever again need to stumble hungover and panicked into a chemist, wait for a consultation and pay a chunk of money for emergency contraception. The only reason that this still happens is stigma, judgement, and a desire to 'prevent' women from using emergency contraception as the default.
READ MORE: If you can afford it, you can now get the morning after pill delivered to your door.