# How does the morning-after pill prevent pregnancy?

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED-Ed
- Speaker: Alison Edelman
- Year: 2026
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Biology, Medicine and health, Teaching and learning
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/alison_edelman_how_does_the_morning_after_pill_prevent_pregnancy)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Adult profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

In a 2021 study, researchers asked over 500 participants to explain how the morning-after pill worked. Despite these pills’ widespread use, 60% answered incorrectly. Emergency contraceptives are often misunderstood— even the phrase “the morning-after pill” is a misnomer. So, how do they work? Alison Edelman explores how two main types of emergency contraception disrupt or delay ovulation. \[Directed by Magali García, narrated by Bethany Cutmore-Scott, music by Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio\].

## Lectures

1. [How does the morning-after pill prevent pregnancy?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/alison_edelman_how_does_the_morning_after_pill_prevent_pregnancy/31376706ef7e), 6 min (TED's player)