In a bid to make emergency contraception more affordable, Superdrug has become the first High Street store to launch its own version of the morning after pill.The pill will be sold for 13.49 across stores and online, at half the price as the branded Levonelle alternative, which currently costs around 27 to buy in pharmacies.Superdrug's pill contains levonorgestrel - the same active ingredient as the branded pill which prevents an unwanted pregnancy within 72 hours of unprotected sex.The retailer says the introduction of the reduced-price pill will offer women more choice and accessibility when it comes to birth control.However, critics have warned that the availability of a low-cost morning after pill could increase the risk of it being misused or overused.Norman Wells, a spokesperson for the Family Education Trust, told The Independent that the strong element of anonymity involved in making pill prices cheaper off-prescription couldput young people at particular risk,In the UK, there are two kinds of emergency contraceptive pill. Levonelle has to be taken within 72 hours (three days) of sex, and ellaOne has to be taken within 120 hours (five days) of sex.Women can currently buy the drugs following a short consultation with a pharmacist in store or by completing an online form.Emergency contraception is also available for free from GPs or sexual health clinics.According to a 2003 report in the Pharmaceutical Journal, the morning after pill in the UK is set deliberately set at an expensive over the counter price point to prevent women from taking it too often.Levonelle costs 24 from pharmacies. The price has been set, in part, to ensure that [emergency hormonal contraception] is not used as a regular method of contraception, a spokeswoman for Levonelle told the Journal.How effective is the emergency pill at preventing pregnancy'The sooner you take emergency contraception after sex, the more effective it will be.Researchers have found it difficult to pinpoint exactly how many pregnancies the emergency pill prevents. This is because there is no way to accurately know how many women would have gotten pregnant, had they not taken the morning after pill.A study published in 2010 showed that of 1,696 women who received the emergency pill within 72 hours of sex, 37 became pregnant. Of these women, 1,659 did not.Of 203 women who took the emergency pill between 72 and 120 hours after unprotected sex, there were three pregnancies.What are the side effects of taking it'Taking the emergency contraceptive pill has not been shown to cause any serious or long-term health problems, however, the NHS warns that it can sometimes have side effects. These include abdominal (tummy) pain, headaches, irregular menstrual bleeding (spotting or heavy bleeding) before your next period is due, feeling sick and tiredness. Less common side effects include breast tenderness, dizziness, headache and vomiting.If you vomit within two hours of taking Levonelle, or three hours of taking ellaOne, as you will need to take another dose or have an IUD fitted.How often can I take the emergency pill'Levonelle and ellaOne are not intended to be used as a regular form of contraception. However, the NHS states that you can use emergency contraception more than once in a menstrual cycle if absolutely necessary - but you will need to consult your GP first.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Science says lasting relationships come down to 3 basic traits
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