A new type of morning-after pill may be more effective than other drugs used to prevent pregnancies in women who had unprotected sex and also works longer, for up to five days.
The new drug, ulipristal acetate, is sold as ellaOne in Europe only with a doctor's prescription. The drug is not legally on the market elsewhere.
EllaOne appears to work consistently well over five days in women who have unprotected sex.
Health officials, however, warned that this should not give women a false sense of security.
"The message has to be always that women should act as soon as possible," said Tony Kerridge, a spokesman for Marie Stopes International, a nonprofit sexual health organization in Britain.
"You may think you have a window of opportunity, but as soon as you can, go somewhere and get it sorted," Kerridge said.
Dr. Anna Glasier of the Family Planning and Well Woman Services at Dean Terrace Center in Edinburgh, Scotland, said more safety data is needed before ellaOne could be recommended for over-the-counter use.
"This is still a new drug, and it has to be around for a couple of years without seeing any unexpected adverse events before anyone would contemplate making it available without prescription," Glasier said.
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