Emergency Contraception: Your Options, Timing and How Well They Work

Condom split? Missed pills? Unprotected sex? Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy, and the sooner you use it, the better it works. It’s safe, it isn’t an abortion, and in many countries you can get it quickly from a pharmacy or clinic.

Imagine waking up on Sunday morning and realising the condom broke last night. You panic and decide to wait until Monday to deal with it. A friend who is a nurse tells you not to wait: the morning-after pill works best when taken as soon as possible, and a pharmacy can help today.

Your options

• Copper IUD (coil): the most effective option. It can be fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex (or up to 5 days after the earliest likely ovulation) and then used as ongoing contraception.
• Ulipristal acetate pill: can be taken up to 5 days (120 hours) after sex.
• Levonorgestrel pill: licensed for up to 3 days (72 hours) after sex, and more effective the sooner it’s taken.

A pharmacist, nurse or doctor can help you choose. Body weight, other medicines and where you are in your cycle can affect which option is best. If you vomit within three hours of taking a pill, you may need another dose.

But is it safe?

Yes. Emergency pills are safe for most people, including teenagers, and can be used more than once. Side effects such as nausea, headache and a change in your next period are usually mild. The World Health Organization includes emergency contraception in its list of essential medicines. Emergency contraception doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections, so consider a test too.

Take a pregnancy test if your period is more than seven days late, or lighter or shorter than usual.

Sources: World Health Organization (Emergency contraception fact sheet), NHS (Emergency contraception), Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or pharmacist.