Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About...
How to Use Emergency Contraception
How long do I have after sex to take emergency contraceptive pills?
If you have sex without
using other contraception, your regular birth control fails, or you
are forced to have sex, take
action right away to learn what your options are. Even though emergency contraception
is often called the “morning
after pill” or “day after pill,” you can actually
use any type of emergency
contraceptive pill for up to 5 days (120 hours) and still significantly
reduce the chance that
you’ll get pregnant.
In the United States, there are two different kinds of emergency contraceptive pills available: ulipristal acetate (ella) and progestin-only (Plan B One-Step, Next Choice and Levonorgestrel Tablets).
ella is a prescription-only product. It is more effective than progestin-only EC, particularly on the 4th and 5th days after sex. It is more likely to work when taken closer to ovulation than progestin-only pills; this is important because women have the highest chance of getting pregnant, and are most likely to be having sex, immediately before the egg is released. ella is approved for use up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse, with no decrease in effectiveness (this is important because sperm can only live in the body for 5 days).
Plan B One-Step, Next Choice and Levonorgestrel Tablets can be purchased directly from the pharmacist by women and men aged 17 or older. Both contain the same total amount of progestin (1.5 mg). Plan B One-Step is just one pill that you take as soon as possible after sex. The instructions for Next Choice and Levonorgestrel Tablets (which contain 2 pills) say to take the first dose within 72 hours after sex and a second dose 12 hours later (however, studies show that you can take both pills at the same time). But studies show that progestin-only and combined EC (such as regular birth control pills taken in different doses to work as emergency contraception) can be taken for up to 5 days after sex, with a decline in effectiveness on the 4th and 5th days after sex. Click here for more detailed instructions for using daily birth control pills as emergency contraception.
If you are using progestin-only EC (Plan B One-Step, Next Choice and Levonorgestrel Tablets), remember that it is more effective the sooner you take it after sex. If you are using ella, you can take it up to 5 days after unprotected sex with no decline in effectiveness. It may take time to get a prescription and fill it, or find a pharmacy that carries EC, so call your health care provider or pharmacy as soon as possible after unprotected sex. For these reasons, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – the leading professional association of doctors who specialize in women’s health – recommends getting emergency contraceptive pills before they are needed.
A thorough and up-to-date academic review of the medical and social
science literature on emergency contraception, including research
showing that emergency contraceptive pills can be used up to 120 hours
after sex, is available; click
here 
.
To find health care providers, including pharmacists, who offer
emergency contraception in your area, click
here.