If you act quickly, emergency
contraception will usually prevent pregnancy.
Where can I get emergency
contraception?
You can get emergency contraception free from:
• any GP
who provides contraceptive services
•
any family planning
clinic
•
any young person's
clinic or Brook clinic
•
most sexual health
clinics
•
most genitourinary
medicine (GUM) clinics
•
most NHS walk-in
centres (in England only)
•
some hospital accident
and emergency departments (phone first)
•
some pharmacies
You can buy emergency contraception from:
•
most pharmacies if
you are 16 years old or over
•
some privately run
clinics, such as British Pregnancy Advisory Service
(BPAS) and Marie Stopes.
All the advice and treatment you receive is confidential
— wherever your receive it.
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Method 1: Progestogen-only emergency pills
What's involved?
How do I take them?
How do emergency pills work?
How effective are emergency
pills?
Will emergency pills protect
me from pregnancy until my next period?
Can anyone use emergency pills?
What are the disadvantages?
How will emergency pills affect
my period?
Do I need to see a doctor or
nurse after I've taken the pills?
Can the emergency pills fail?
What if I vomit within two hours
of taking either pill?
How will I know if the emergency
pills have worked?
Are there any risks if the emergency
pills fail?
Can I use emergency pills
regularly?
Can I get emergency pills in
advance?
Can I get emergency pills
from a pharmacist?
If I'm using regular contraceptive
pills, can I continue to take them after I've
used the emergency pills?
Method 2: The Copper IUD
What's involved?
How does the IUD work?
How effective is a copper
IUD?
Can anyone use an IUD?
What are the disadvantages
of using an IUD for emergency contraception?
Do I need to see a doctor
or nurse after the IUD is fitted?
When can I have the IUD removed?
More questions about emergency
contraception
Does emergency contraception cause an
abortion?
What should I do if I think
there’s a problem?
Method 1: Progestogen-only
emergency pills
What's
involved?
Emergency contraceptive pills contain a progestogen
hormone which is similar to the natural progesterone
women produce in their ovaries. They should be
taken within three days (72 hours) of having unprotected
sex. They are more effective the sooner they are
taken. However, they are not as effective as using
other methods of contraception such as the pill
or condoms regularly and do not protect you against
sexually transmitted infections.
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How do I take them?
Emergency pills come in a packet of two. The two
pills should be taken together, at the same time,
and as soon as possible after unprotected sex.
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How do emergency pills work?
The pills may:
•
stop an egg being
released (ovulation)
•
delay ovulation
•
stop a fertilised
egg settling in your womb (implanting).
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How effective are emergency pills?
Emergency contraceptive pills are very effective.
They are more effective the sooner they are taken
after sex.
•
If taken within 24
hours of unprotected sexual intercourse, they
will prevent more than 9 out of 10 (95%) pregnancies
expected to occur if no emergency contraception
had been used.
•
If taken 72 hours
after unprotected sex they will prevent more than
5 out of 10 (58%) pregnancies expected to occur
if no emergency contraception had been used.
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Will emergency pills protect me from pregnancy
until my next period?
No. Emergency pills will not protect you from
pregnancy if you have further unprotected sex.
The doctor, nurse or pharmacist can give you information
about different contraceptive choices.
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Can anyone use emergency pills?
Almost every woman can use emergency pills. However,
if you are taking certain prescribed or complementary
medicines, or suffer from particular illnesses
you may need special advice. Tell your doctor,
nurse or pharmacist about any medicines you are
taking or any illnesses you may have.
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What are the disadvantages?
There are no serious short- or long-term effects
from using emergency pills. Some women will feel
sick and have headaches, dizziness, tiredness,
breast tenderness and abdominal pain. A very small
number of women will vomit.
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How will emergency pills affect my period?
Your period may come earlier than expected or
it may be up to a week late. Mostly, it comes
within a few days of when you would expect it.
You may experience some irregular bleeding between
taking the emergency pills and getting your next
period. This can range from spotting to being
quite heavy.
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Do I need to see a doctor or nurse after
I've taken the pills?
Not usually, but do go and see a doctor or nurse
if:
•
your next period
is more than seven days late
•
your
period is shorter or lighter than your usual period
•
you
have any sudden or unusual pain in your lower
abdomen.
(These could be signs of an ectopic pregnancy
- a pregnancy that develops outside the womb,
usually in a fallopian tube. Although this is
not common, it is serious.)
•
you
think you may be pregnant
•
you want to talk
about using regular contraception
•
you are worried that
you might have caught a sexually transmitted infection.
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Can the emergency pills fail?
Emergency pills are very effective and should
be taken as soon as possible after unprotected
sex. They are most effective if taken within 24
hours. They are most likely to fail if you:
•
take the pills more
than 72 hours after unprotected sex
•
vomit within two
hours after taking the pills
•
don't take the pills
as instructed
•
have had unprotected
sex at another time, either since your last period
or since taking the pills.
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What if I vomit within two hours of taking
the pills?
Speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. They
may give you extra pills, a medicine to stop you
vomiting again or suggest having a copper IUD
fitted (Method 2).
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How will I know if the emergency pills
have worked?
If you have taken the pills correctly and your
next period seems normal, it is unlikely that
you will be pregnant. If you are worried, seek
advice.
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Are there any risks if the emergency pills
fail?
Emergency pills have not been shown to affect
a pregnancy or harm a developing baby. As with
any pregnancy there is a small chance that an
ectopic pregnancy may occur.
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Can I use emergency pills regularly?
Emergency pills are not as effective as using
other contraceptive methods regularly. If you
do not want to become pregnant you should always
use contraception. You can take emergency pills
more than once - this is not dangerous but may
disrupt your periods. If you want advice on any
method of contraception ask your doctor, nurse
or pharmacist.
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Can I get emergency pills in advance?
Yes, if you are worried about your contraceptive
method failing or cannot get emergency contraception
easily. Ask your doctor or nurse about this.
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Can I get emergency pills from a pharmacist?
Yes. You can buy emergency pills if you are aged
16 or over. They are also available free from
some pharmacies in the UK.
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If I'm using regular contraceptive pills,
can I continue to take them after I've used the
emergency pills?
Yes. If you needed emergency contraception because
you forgot some of your regular pills, you should
take a contraceptive pill again within 12 hours
of taking emergency pills. You will need to use
an additional contraceptive method, such as condoms,
until your contraceptive pill is effective again.
This will vary depending on which type of pill
you take. The doctor, nurse or pharmacist can
give you advice.
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Method 2: The Copper IUD
What's involved?
A doctor or a nurse fits a copper intrauterine
device (IUD) in your womb up to five days after
you had unprotected sex, or up to five days after
the earliest time you could have released an egg
(ovulation). If you need to come back to have
the IUD fitted, you may be advised to take emergency
pills in the meantime.
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How does the IUD work?
It may stop an egg being fertilised or implanting
in your womb.
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How effective is a copper IUD?
The IUD is the most effective method of emergency
contraception. It will prevent more than 9 out
of 10 (98%) pregnancies expected to occur if no
emergency contraception had been used. It can
also provide ongoing contraception if you want
to use this method.
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Can anyone use an IUD?
Most women can use an IUD for emergency contraception.
An IUD may be suitable if you:
• pharmacistwant
to use the most effective method of emergency
contraception
•
are too
late to take emergency pills (over 72 hours after
unprotected sex)
•
do not want
to, or cannot, take progestogen
•
want to
use the IUD as an ongoing method of contraception.
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What are the disadvantages of using an
IUD for emergency contraception?
When an IUD is fitted there is a small chance
of you getting an infection in your womb within
the first 21 days after it is put in. If you have
been at risk of getting a sexually transmitted
infection you may have screening tests done at
the time the IUD is fitted and you may also be
given some antibiotics. This will help to reduce
the chance of pelvic infection occurring.
An IUD might go through (perforate)
your womb or cervix when it is fitted. It may
cause pain, but often there are no symptoms. If
this happens, the IUD may need to removed by surgery.
Perforation is uncommon when the IUD is fitted
by an experienced doctor or nurse.
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Do I need to see a doctor or nurse after
the IUD is fitted?
It is important to see a doctor or nurse three
to four weeks after the IUD is fitted, whether
or not you have had a period. This is to check
you are not pregnant, the IUD is still in the
correct place and to discuss any problems.
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When can I have the IUD removed?
•
If you do
not want to keep the IUD as your regular contraceptive
method, it can be removed as soon as you are sure
you are not pregnant (usually during your next
period).
•
If you have
not started to use a hormonal method of contraception
(such as the contraceptive pill) you will need
to use an extra contraceptive method such as condoms,
for seven days before the IUD is taken out. This
is because sperm can live inside your body for
up to seven days and could fertilise an egg once
the IUD is removed.
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More questions about emergency
contraception
Does emergency contraception
cause an abortion?
No, emergency contraception may stop ovulation
or fertilisation of an egg, or stop a fertilised
egg from implanting in the womb. Medical research
and legal judgement are quite clear that emergency
contraception (pills or an IUD) prevents pregnancy
and is not abortion. Abortion can only take place
after a fertilised egg has implanted in the womb.
People who believe life begins when the egg is
fertilised may not wish to use the emergency contraception
methods outlined in this leaflet.
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What should I do if I think there’s
a problem?
If you are worried about anything to do with your
emergency contraception see your doctor, nurse
or pharmacist as soon as you can.
See your doctor or nurse straight
away if you think you are pregnant or have any
of the following:
•
a sudden
or unusual pain in your lower abdomen
•
a shorter,
lighter or delayed period
•
a smelly
discharge from the vagina
•
a high temperature.
These could be signs of an ectopic pregnancy or
an infection, which can be serious.
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