Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About...
Please choose from the following Main Categories of Questions:
Types of Emergency Contraception
What brands of emergency contraception
are available in the United States?
What brands of emergency contraceptive pills
are available around the world?
Which birth control pills can be used for emergency
contraception in the United States?
Which daily birth control
pills can be used for emergency contraception worldwide?
Can I use any birth control pills for emergency
contraception?
What is the difference between emergency contraception,
the "morning after pill", and the "day after pill"?
How to Get Emergency Contraception
Where can I get EC?
Do I need a prescription to get emergency contraceptive
pills?
What did the FDA say when making Plan B available
without a prescription?
Will I need identification to buy Plan B?
Should I get emergency contraceptive pills to
keep in my medicine cabinet, just in case?
How much do emergency contraceptive pills cost?
If I am a teenager (under 18 years old), can I
get emergency contraception in the United States without my parents’ knowledge or consent?
Can I get emergency contraception at a Catholic
hospital?
When to Use Emergency Contraception
When might I need to use emergency contraception?
Who uses emergency contraception?
Do I need emergency contraception if I missed one or more of my regular birth control pills?
How to Use Emergency Contraception
How do I use emergency contraceptive pills?
What doses should I take of oral contraceptives that can be used for emergency contraception?
How long do I have after sex to take emergency contraceptive pills?
What if I take the second dose of emergency contraceptive pills late?
How Emergency Contraception Works
How does emergency contraception prevent pregnancy?
Does emergency contraception cause an abortion?
How are emergency contraceptive pills different from the abortion pill (Mifeprex, also referred to as RU-486)?
Risk of Pregnancy
What is my risk of getting pregnant if I have
sex without using contraception or my birth control fails?
Can I get pregnant if I have unprotected sex but
the man does not ejaculate (cum)?
Am I still at risk of pregnancy if I have sex
after taking emergency contraceptive pills?
When can I take a pregnancy test and be sure that
it is accurate?
If I have what appears to be a normal period, can I still be pregnant?
Is implantation a cause of bleeding?
Side Effects
What are the side effects of emergency contraceptive pills?
If I do not have any side effects, does that mean the emergency contraceptive pills are not working?
What if I bleed after taking emergency contraceptive pills?
When should I expect my next period after I take emergency contraceptive pills?
Effectiveness
How effective is emergency contraception?
If I drink alcohol after taking emergency contraceptive pills, will they be less effective?
If I am using enzyme inducers (such as Dilantin, the antibiotics rifampicin or griseofulvin, or St. John’s Wort), will it make emergency contraceptive pills less effective? Are the instructions for using the pills different?
Safety
Is emergency contraception safe?
Can I use emergency contraception even if I’ve been told I shouldn’t use daily birth control pills?
Do emergency contraceptive pills increase my risk of having an ectopic pregnancy (that’s when the pregnancy is outside the uterus)?
Can emergency contraceptive pills cause birth defects?
Can I use emergency contraceptive pills if I am breastfeeding?
Is there a limit to the number of times I can use emergency contraceptive pills?
Impact of Emergency Contraception
Why is emergency contraception important?
Will women stop using other forms of birth control
if emergency contraception is really easy to get?
If men know women can use emergency contraceptives,
will they be less likely to use condoms?
Can't find the answer to your question?
Ask James: send your question to James Trussell, founder of this website, at ec3@opr.princeton.edu.