Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About...
How to Use Emergency Contraception
How long do I have after sex to take emergency contraceptive pills?
Emergency contraceptive pills work
best if you take them as soon as possible after you have sex without
using other contraception, your regular birth control fails, or you
are forced to have sex.
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 chances that
you’ll get pregnant.
In the United States, you can buy a one-step emergency contraceptive pill (called Plan B One-Step) or a 2-step pill (Plan B or Next Choice); both of these products contain the same total amount of progestin. Plan B One-Step is just one pill that you take as soon as possible after sex. The instructions
for Plan B and Next Choice (which each 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). The same
is true for most other pills sold specifically for use as emergency
contraceptives around the world, and your health care provider will
likely suggest this if you plan to use any of the brands of regular
birth control pills that can also be used
as emergency contraception. But studies show that all of these
pills can be taken for up to 5 days after sex. (Click
here for more detailed instructions for using daily birth control pills as emergency contraception.)
Emergency contraceptive pills are more effective the sooner you take them. But getting a doctor's appointment and buying the pills takes time -- wasted time that may make the pills less effective. If you already have emergency contraceptive pills in your medicine cabinet, you can start using them right away – without having to go to your health care provider to get a prescription and to the pharmacy to buy the pills. 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.