Emergency Contraception

Emergency Contraception Questions?

• How do emergency contraceptives work?

  Emergency contraceptives, like Plan B® and Ella®, work by blocking your ovaries from ovulating. If you do not release an egg during ovulation, you cannot get pregnant. Emergency contraception is not an abortion pill and will not work if you are already pregnant.

• What is the difference between Ella and Plan B?

  Plan B® is currently FDA approved for use up to 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex. Ella® is FDA approved for use up to 120 hours (5 days) after unprotected sex.

  Most research shows that overall, ella® is more effective than Plan B® for most women. ella® is equally effective throughout the 5 days after unprotected sex, but Plan B® is less effective with time (ex. more effective at 24 hours than after 48 hours).

• How long after unprotected sex can I take them?

  Plan B® is more effective the sooner that you take it, so the longer you wait, the less likely it is to work. Ella® has been shown to work for up to 5 days after unprotected sex and is not less effective with time.

• Do you offer overnight delivery?

  Unfortunately, we do not offer overnight delivery. In order to make sure that you are able to get emergency contraceptives as quickly as possible, we will send the prescription to a local pharmacy of your choice for you to pick up.

• Can you send it to my local pharmacy?

  Yes. When we call in a prescription for emergency contraception to a pharmacy it is usually processed the same day that we order it. Some pharmacies do not reliably stock ella®, so if you are requesting this pill, we recommend that you call your pharmacy to make sure they have it available.

  If you did not have unprotected sex and just want to have emergency contraceptives on hand, just in case, we can deliver these directly to you.

• How effective are emergency contraceptives?

  Emergency contraceptives are about 58-94% effective at preventing pregnancy. The range is so large because when taken at the right time, emergency contraception is very effective. However, some women are unable to access the medication until it’s almost too late.

  Ella® is slightly more effective than Plan B®. Plan B® is more effective the faster you are able to take it (for example, it’s more effective if taken 3 hours after unprotected sex rather than 48+ hours after).

• How often can I take emergency contraceptives?

  Emergency contraceptive should not be used as regular birth control. Though there are no known health risks, regularly taking emergency contraceptives can result in increased side effects (like irregular bleeding).

  If you find that you need emergency contraception more than 2 or 3 times per year, we recommend that you consider starting regular birth control which is much more effective (up to 99% effective when used as directed) compared to emergency contraception (ranges from 58%-94% effective).

• Will I get side effects?

  Most women will not have any side effects with emergency contraception. Sometimes, emergency contraception can cause spotting or irregular bleeding about one week before or after your regularly scheduled period. Other possible side effects are nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, breast soreness, or cramping for 1 to 2 days after taking emergency contraception. If you throw up within 2 hours of taking emergency contraception, then you may have lost the pill and you should consider taking another dose. Please contact us if you throw up your emergency contraception within 2 hours of taking it.

• Do I need follow-up care after using emergency contraception?

  Typically, you will not need any follow-up care. If your period is more than one week late after taking emergency contraception, you should take a pregnancy test. Remember, common pregnancy tests (using urine samples) are not accurate in the first 10 days of pregnancy, which is why we recommend waiting until you are at least a week late.

• Can I take emergency contraception if I am breastfeeding?

  If you are breastfeeding 100% of the time and your period has not yet returned, then you may not need emergency contraception.

  Plan B® can be used safely during breastfeeding with no changes to your breastfeeding schedule. Ella® can also be used safely during breastfeeding. The CDC recommends that women delay breastfeeding for 24 hours after taking ella® as some of this medication is excreted in the breastmilk. The strongest concentration of ella® in the breastmilk occurs for 1 to 3 hours after taking it, so some providers recommend pumping and dumping only once. There are no known complications for babies who do breastfeed right after the mother has taken emergency contraception.

• When do I need to use emergency contraceptives?

  • If you have sex without a condom or if the condom breaks, slips, or falls off.
  • If you have sex and have missed more than 2 days (48 hours) in a row of your combined hormonal contraceptives (pill, patch, or ring).
  • If you have sex and are more than 3 hours late taking the progesterone only pill.