How to take the emergency contraceptive pill
You take 1 emergency contraceptive pill within 3 or 5 days after sex, depending on the type of pill.
The 2 types of pill are:
- pills with levonorgestrel (brands include Levonelle): you need to take this pill within 3 days (72 hours) after sex
- pills with ulipristal acetate (brands include ellaOne): you need to take this pill within 5 days (120 hours) after sex
How well does the emergency contraceptive pill work?
It’s hard to know exactly how well the emergency contraceptive pill will work for you as this can depend on things like how soon you took it after sex.
Research suggests that around 1 to 2 women in every 100 who take an emergency contraceptive pill will get pregnant.
The most effective method of emergency contraception is the IUD (copper coil).