How to Use Emergency Contraception

Overview

Emergency contraception (also known as emergency birth control) is a form of birth control that can be taken if your normal mode of contraception fails (such as the condom breaks), you fail to take your birth control pill, or if you have unprotected sex. There is a specific pill (known as the morning-after pill, or Plan B) that can be used, or higher doses of hormonal birth control pills can sometimes be used. Emergency contraception can cause nausea and vomiting as side effects.

Step 1

Make sure it is safe for you to take emergency contraception. According to the emergency contraception website information page, which is hosted by Princeton University, you should not use emergency contraception if you are pregnant or if your doctor has told you to avoid estrogen supplements (generally because of cancer risks).

Step 2

Determine what kind of emergency contraception you would like to take. The most commonly used form is the "Plan B" brand, but there are multiple kinds of hormonal contraception that can be taken, in varying amounts, as emergency contraception. A link to the Planned Parenthood website with the types of birth control that can be used as well as the proper dosage is in the Resources section.

Step 3

Get your medication. If you don't have enough hormonal contraceptive pills to use them for emergency contraception, you can get Plan B without a prescription for people at or over age 17 from many emergency rooms, health clinics or pharmacies, as well as from Planned Parenthood.

Step 4

Take the pills as soon as possible. Emergency contraception can be effective if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, but the sooner you take it the more likely it is to work.

Step 5

Follow the dosing schedule. In general, you will need to take the first pill (or set of pills, depending on the method) as soon as possible and then wait 12 hours before taking the second dose.