HealthWise KnowledgeBase
Emergency contraceptive pills
Examples
Medicines
Progestin
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Combination birth control pills
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| Note: |
Plan B is specifically packaged for emergency contraception. You can buy Plan B in most drugstores.
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Emergency contraception is used after unprotected sex to prevent a pregnancy from starting. It is most effective when it is used as soon as possible after intercourse. It is not necessary to take a pregnancy test before using emergency contraception.
How to take emergency contraception
Birth control experts recommend having emergency contraception pills, or a prescription for them, on hand in case you ever need them.1 Emergency contraception is most effective when used as soon as possible after unprotected sex. Your risk of becoming pregnant increases as time passes.
Two-dose Plan B is the first-choice method for emergency contraception.1 It requires fewer pills, is slightly more effective, and is unlikely to cause nausea and vomiting, compared with estrogen and progestin pills.
If you are using a type of regular birth control pills (named below), take only the active hormone pills. Be sure to avoid the inactive sugar pills in the pack, which are a different color.
| Brand name and color of hormone pills | First dose* | Second dose |
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Plan B (white)—containing levonorgestrel |
Take 1 pill. |
12 hours (or less) after the first dose, take 1 more pill. |
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Plan B (white)—containing levonorgestrel |
Take 2 pills at once. |
None |
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Ogestrel or Ovral (white)—containing estrogen-progestin |
Take antinausea medicine. One hour later, take 2 hormone pills. |
12 hours after the first dose, take 2more pills. |
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Low-Ogestrel (white); Lo-Ovral (white); Levora (white); Levlen (light orange); Nordette (light orange); Triphasil (yellow); Tri-Levlen (yellow); Trivora (pink)—containing estrogen-progestin |
Take antinausea medicine. One hour later, take 4 hormone pills. |
12 hours after the first dose, take 4more pills. |
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Alesse (pink); Levlite (pink); Aviane (orange)—containing estrogen-progestin |
Take antinausea medicine. One hour later, take 5 hormone pills. |
12 hours after the first dose, take 5more pills. |
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*The first dose may be taken up to 120 hours, or 5 days, after unprotected intercourse. |
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Intrauterine device (IUD)
As another option, a copper-bearing intrauterine device (IUD) can be inserted within 5 to 7 days after unprotected sex.
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| Author: | Bets Davis, MFA | Last Updated: May 22, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine
Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology |
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