Why We Launched The Morning After Pill

Stress. Hassle. Pressure. Despite 1 in 3 women accessing the morning after pill in 2023*, it can still be really awkward, embarrassing or plain difficult to get emergency contraception when you really need it. We've heard many stories from our community about the judgement they've faced from healthcare professionals when simply trying to advocate for their reproductive rights. Here are just some of the hurdles the HANX Gang have experienced when trying to get the morning after pill:

• Being turned away by moralising pharmacists (yes, really!)
• Finding an open pharmacist or sexual health clinic was impossible over a weekend, bank holiday or on holiday
• Being forced to answer personal questions about their sex life or personal health information in front of a crowded chemist queue
• Struggling to secure an appointment at a sexual health clinic within the strict time frame required to prevent an unintended pregnancy
• Feeling ashamed/anxious to visit a family GP/living in a small town where the pharmacist knows them/their family

Whatever your lived experience and however sex positive you are, experiences like these can lead to anxiety, unnecessary stress and even cause those in need of emergency contraception to ultimately feel unable to go ahead with trying to get the pill. We believe this simply has to change.

Why HANX launched the morning after pill

We believe that being proactive about your health shouldn’t be shameful, or subject to a stressfully tight time window. During COVID lockdowns, we saw already-pressured NHS sexual health services become even harder to access and our community were crying out for an alternative. With our trusted pharmacy partner, we already dispense intimate health treatments, and so together, we worked hard behind the scenes to start offering the morning after pill online, too. One key aspect we wanted to revolutionise? The sweaty, watching-the-clock hurry to get hold of the pill. Yes, it has to be taken within 3-5 days after sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy - but the morning after pill has a shelf life of up to three years**. So, why are we forced to break Olympic world records to get to a Boots, GP or sexual health clinic in just a few hours/days? Whether you’re navigating a condom slipping off, contraception fail or an unprotected sex situation, it’s a high stress situation that doesn’t need additional pressure.

Our community back this, with 74% stating that they want to be able to keep the morning after pill on hand as a backup option at home, primarily to avoid a time-pressured trip to access the pill (46%) and secondly, to be prepared just in case (43%). 

This isn’t just a time-saving solution. The culture of shame around the emergency contraception has to be challenged - our research shows that 29% of our community want to be able to order emergency contraception online to avoid embarrassment. Those who had experienced negative or distressing reactions from healthcare professionals when trying to access the morning after pill said that they felt shamed for having sex at all, or judged for ‘not being safe’. In an ideal world, getting the morning after pill would have no more moral judgement than asking for a pack of plasters.

How ordering the morning after pill online works at HANX

By offering the morning after pill in a discreet and convenient manner, we aim to make it easier for you to access emergency contraception when you need it - or to keep it on hand for future use. Here's what to expect:

• Head to our digital pharmacy and add emergency contraceptive pill to your basket.
• At checkout, you will need to answer a short, digital survey about your health, which our pharmacy partner will review to make sure the morning after pill is suitable for you.
• If your order is approved, your pill will be sent out the very same day in discreet packaging (and if there are any problems, they'll be in touch!).
• Voila: the essential contraception you need, ready to be kept on hand, without judgement, stress, or the panic of a last-minute trip to the pharmacy.

*NHS Digital
** when stored correctly.

Want more?

• Get our ultimate guide to the morning after pill, with our in-house gynaecology expert.
• No, the emergency pill isn’t an abortion. Let’s bust five myths about it together.