Emergency Contraception

Overview

Emergency contraception is an emergency dose of certain birth control pills that prevents the sperm from meeting the egg or prevents the egg from attaching to the wall of the uterus (also called "the morning-after pill"). The pills work because they contain hormones that can prevent pregnancy when taken in larger-than-normal doses. The first dose of pills can be taken within 3 to 5 hours of unprotected intercourse. The next dose of pills is taken 12 hours after the first set. Each dose is made up of 2, 4 or 5 pills, depending on the type of pill. Emergency contraception is not recommended as a regular birth control method. It should be used for emergencies only. If you are having sex and the condom breaks or slips off; if your diaphragm or cervical cap slips out of place; or you forget your birth control pills 2 days in a row, you may want to consider using emergency contraception. It is also available to those who are forced to have unprotected sex against their will.

Emergency contraception must be prescribed by a health care provider. It is also available at many health clinics. You must call as soon as possible after having unprotected sex, since it is most effective during the first 72 hours.

Before you use emergency contraception, consider this:

It is legal and available if necessary and can be used if you are raped.
The side effects can be severe and are different with every woman.
Failure Rate
Perfect-use failure rate is 25 percent.
Side Effects
Nausea, vomiting, breast tenderness and headache.
IMPORTANT
This is not to be used as a birth control method! It is for emergency use only.
Effectiveness

A woman's risk of pregnancy varies from day to day during her menstrual cycle. Some teens may not have transportation to a clinic or health care provider available confidentially and as quickly as needed, so emergency contraception is not recommended for them. This method must be used as soon as possible, 24 to 48 hours after sex and up to 72 hours. High doses of hormones can make teens very sick (hours of vomiting).

You may want emergency contraception if:

His condom broke or slipped off, and he ejaculated inside your vagina.
Your diaphragm or cervical cap slipped out of place, and he ejaculated inside your vagina.
He forced you to have unprotected vaginal intercourse.
You forgot to take your birth control pill more than two days in a row.
You weren't using any birth control.
He didn't pull out in time.
Contact your health care provider immediately if you've had unprotected intercourse. Emergency contraception is not to be used as a method of birth control, and will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).