What if emergency contraception fails

According to Planned Parenthood , you basically have two options:. Go to your doctor to get a Paragard IUD within five days of having sex without protection. Paragard creates a toxic environment for sperm, and it prevents pregnancy more than Take an emergency contraceptive pill often referred to as the morning-after pill within five days of unprotected sex.

There are two types of morning-after pills: A brand called Ella uses the drug ulipristal acetate to delay ovulation, and according to Planned Parenthood , is the most effective type of morning-after pill. The only hitch: You need a prescription to get it that said, you can get a fast medical consultation and prescription with next-day delivery online.

Your other option is an OTC morning-after pill like Plan B or Next Choice, both of which use levonorgestrel, a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone, to delay ovulation.

These pills work best the sooner you take them, but you can take them up to five days after unprotected sex, according to Planned Parenthood. For emergency contraception, you have to take more than two, and the amount you need depends on the brand you use. Known as the Yuzpe method , this method has been around since the '70s.

That said, you have to be precise about it read more here , so talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your specific birth control before trying it. They can tell you if this or another EC option would be best for your situation. Morning-after pills like Plan B and Next Choice are effective if you take them within five days of unprotected sex. The major caveat here is that they work best when taken within 72 hours, then the efficacy starts dropping.

Within three days after unprotected sex , these kinds of morning-after pills are between 75 and 89 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, according to Planned Parenthood. Although levonorgesterel-based options like Plan B and Next Choice prevent pregnancy up to five days after unprotected sex, think of those first 72 hours as prime time.

Ella decreases your risk of getting pregnant by 85 percent if you take it within the appropriate window. Years ago, emergency contraception relied on estrogen to do its job, Dr. In some cases, your doctor will recommend testing you right away, and again in six months for HIV.

While these forms of emergency contraception have high success rates, there is the rare chance that they may fail. If you decide to maintain the pregnancy, your doctor can set you up with prenatal care. If it is an unwanted pregnancy, talk to your doctor and research your options. If you decide to terminate the pregnancy, there are different types of abortions that you can choose from, depending on which state you live in.

Contact your doctor to see what options are available to you. If your emergency contraception fails, you can utilize these resources for more information:. Get the facts and statistics surrounding common safety concerns of Emergency Contraception.

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Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Emergency Contraception: What to Do Afterward. Medically reviewed by Rachel Liberto, R. Types When should you take it? No7 Beauty Calendars.

Stay Perfect. No7 christmas gifts. No7 all year round gifts. Sorry, we're unable to find stores near that location. Please try again or use a different postcode or place name. Almost all methods of contraception can occasionally fail, but there are still steps you can take to help prevent an unwanted pregnancy. A contraceptive's effectiveness is expressed as a percentage. A success rate of 98 percent means that, out of all the women using that method for one year, two in will still get pregnant.

Many methods measure 'perfect use' when the method is used with no mistakes and 'typical use' which includes situations such as occasionally forgetting to take a pill, or incorrect condom use. This includes the combined contraceptive pill, and the progesterone-only or 'mini' pill. The 'perfect use' success rate is greater than 99 percent. The 'typical use' success rate is 91 percent — so around nine in women will get pregnant while using the pill for one year.

This can mean your body doesn't absorb your pill properly. This information will be listed in the patient information leaflet inside your medicine box. The 'perfect use' success rate for male condoms is 98 percent — the 'typical use' success rate is 82 percent. So around 18 in women each year get pregnant while using male condoms.

For female condoms, the 'perfect use' success rate is 95 percent and the 'typical' use success rate is 79 percent - so around 21 women in women each year get pregnant while using female condoms. Small quantities of sperm can be present even before the man ejaculates, so you should put on the condom before the penis touches the vagina. To prevent the condom coming off inside the woman, the man should pull out while the penis is still erect, holding the condom in place.

This can cause the condom to split or tear. Check the labels on both lubricants and condoms, and ask your pharmacist for advice if you're unsure. This includes intrauterine devices IUDs fitted into the uterus, and contraceptive implants placed just under the skin. The 'perfect use' success rate for IUDs is greater than 99 percent. There's no 'typical use' rate because there's nothing further the user needs to do or to remember to make this method successful.

When your IUD is fitted, your nurse or doctor will show you how to check for the two small threads at the top of your vagina. If you can't find these threads, your IUD may have become dislodged.

The 'perfect use' success rate for the contraceptive implant is also greater than 99 percent. Again, there's no 'typical use' rate because there's nothing further the user needs to do or to remember to make this method successful. Some medicines are known to make your contraceptive implant temporarily less effective. This will be clearly listed in the patient information leaflet inside the medicine. If you're not sure, talk to your GP or pharmacist.

If your contraception has failed, or if you didn't use contraception, there are still steps you can take to help prevent an unwanted pregnancy. Although it's often called the 'morning after' pill, you can take the emergency contraceptive pill up to five days after unprotected sex.

However, the sooner you take it, the more effective it is. You can get the emergency contraceptive pill from your pharmacist, following a private chat with them subject to eligibility criteria and pharmacist availability. Some pharmacies are open until midnight from Monday to Saturday.

You can find your nearest Boots pharmacy by visiting www. You can also access the morning after pill from your GP or family planning clinic. The emergency contraceptive pill doesn't provide ongoing protection.