Emergency contraception

The condom broke. You missed pills. Things happened without protection. Whatever brought you here, the most useful thing you can know right now is this: emergency contraception is safe, legal, effective, and time is on your side more than panic suggests — as long as you act within the window.

Time window: emergency contraception can work up to 120 hours (5 days) after unprotected sex. Effectiveness drops with every day that passes, so today beats tomorrow. If you're inside 72 hours, all three options are on the table.

Your three options, honestly compared

1. The copper IUD — the most effective, and the most overlooked

A copper IUD inserted within 120 hours prevents more than 99% of expected pregnancies — it's the most effective form of emergency contraception there is, and body weight doesn't change that. The bonus: it keeps working as regular contraception for up to 10 years, or you can have it removed after your next period. The catch: you need a clinic appointment fast, so call today and say the words "emergency contraception" — many clinics hold same-day slots for exactly this. Some clinics can alternatively place a 52 mg hormonal IUD, which recent evidence supports for this use.

2. Ulipristal acetate (ella) — the stronger pill

A single prescription tablet that works for the full 120 hours without the steep drop-off levonorgestrel has, and it's the more effective pill choice on days 2–5. It also works better than levonorgestrel for people at higher body weights. You'll need a prescription in the US (telehealth services can often issue one the same day); in much of Europe it's available at pharmacies without one.

3. Levonorgestrel (Plan B One-Step and generics) — the accessible one

Available on the shelf at most pharmacies, no prescription, no ID, no age requirement, and generics work exactly as well as the brand for a fraction of the price. It's most effective within 72 hours. Two honest caveats: effectiveness may be reduced if you weigh over about 75 kg (165 lb) — ella or the copper IUD are better choices in that case — and it works mainly by delaying ovulation, so if ovulation already happened this cycle, it may not help.

How to choose in 30 seconds

Want maximum effectiveness, or ongoing birth control anyway? Call a clinic about the copper IUD today.
It's been more than 72 hours, or you weigh over ~75 kg? Ask for ella.
You want something now, tonight, from a pharmacy shelf? Levonorgestrel — and take it as soon as it's in your hand.

Details that actually matter

If you vomit within 3 hours of taking either pill, the dose may not have absorbed — take another.
If you use hormonal birth control: after levonorgestrel, restart it immediately. After ella, wait 5 days before restarting (the two interfere with each other) and use condoms in the meantime.
Breastfeeding? Levonorgestrel is considered compatible with breastfeeding; with ella, guidance advises expressing and discarding milk for about a week.
Your next period may arrive a few days early or late, with some spotting in between — that's expected. If it's more than 7 days late, take a pregnancy test.
You can use emergency contraception more than once, even in the same cycle. It's not dangerous and doesn't affect your future fertility — it's just less effective and more expensive than regular contraception, which is worth sorting out once this week is behind you.

What emergency contraception is not

It is not the abortion pill. Emergency contraception works before a pregnancy is established — mainly by delaying ovulation so sperm and egg never meet. If a pregnancy has already implanted, these methods won't harm it or end it. This distinction is settled science, whatever the internet comments say.

When to see a clinician

See a clinician promptly if: you want the copper IUD (that's the point), your period is more than 7 days late, you have severe lower abdominal pain in the weeks after (rare, but it needs ruling out), or the sex was without your consent — clinics can support you with far more than contraception, at your pace. And consider booking an STI test for about two weeks out; emergency contraception covers pregnancy, not infections.

This guide is educational and not medical advice. It can't account for your history or circumstances — a clinician can. Read our full medical disclaimer.