Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About...
Types of Emergency Contraception
Which birth control pills can be used for emergency contraception in the United States?
There are nearly two dozen brands of pills
that can be used for emergency
contraception in the United States today. Plan
B, which contains just the hormone progestin,
is the only product specifically approved and marketed here as an
emergency contraceptive
pill. You can also use a different dose of a number of brands
of regular birth control pills. While these are not sold specifically
as emergency contraceptive
pills, they have been proven safe and effective for preventing
pregnancy in the few days after sex. These daily birth
control pills contain two hormones, progestin
and estrogen.
As a general rule, emergency contraceptive
pills are taken in two doses. You take the first dose as soon
as possible (up to 120 hours
after you have sex without using birth control, your birth control
failed, or you were forced to have sex. You take the second dose 12
hours later (although being an hour or two early
or late probably won’t make a difference in how effective
the pills are). If you are using Plan
B, you have the option of taking both doses
at the same time. Keep in mind that emergency contraceptive pills
are most effective the sooner
they are taken after sex. Emergency contraceptive
pills have no long-term or serious side effects, and it is safe
for almost every woman to use them.
Here are some other things to know about taking emergency contraceptive
pills:
- Don’t swallow extra pills. They probably won’t reduce your risk of pregnancy any more than the recommended dose for emergency contraception. But they will make it more likely you’ll feel sick to your stomach (one of the more common side effects).
- If you feel sick to your stomach, it should be only mild nausea that goes away in a day or so.
- If you throw up within an hour after taking the pills, call your health care provider. You may need to repeat a dose, and it might make sense to take some anti-nausea medication (Find out more about side effects here).
- If you have any other symptoms you are worried about,
contact your health care provider. Ask for an appointment right
away if you have:
- Severe pain in your leg (calf or thigh)
- Several abdominal pain
- Chest pain or cough or shortness of breath
- Severe headaches, dizziness, weakness, or numbness
- Blurred or loss of vision or trouble speaking
- Jaundice (if you see a yellowish tint in the whites of your eyes, your skin, or your mucus membranes)
- Your next period should start within the next month, although it might come a few days early or late (Find out more here). If you don’t get your period by the time you expect it, you might consider getting a pregnancy test.
- Start using a regular birth control method you think you’ll be able to use every time you have sex because that will be more effective than relying only on emergency contraception. And, if there’s any chance you could be at risk of sexually transmitted infections, use a condom.
The table below lists all of the brands of oral contraception available in the U.S. which you can use to prevent pregnancy in the few days after sex. For information about how to use a specific pill as an emergency contraceptive, click on the brand name in the table.
Looking for options for emergency contraceptive
pills in another country? Click
here.
Table
1. Oral contraceptives that can be used for emergency contraception
in the United Statesa
Brand | Company | First Doseb | Second Doseb (12 hours later) |
Ethinyl Estradiol per Dose (µg) |
Levonorgestrel per Dose (mg)c |
Progestin-only pills | |||||
Plan B | Barr/Duramed | 2 white pills | Noneb | 0 | 1.5 |
Combined progestin and estrogen pills | |||||
Alesse | Wyeth-Ayerst | 5 pink pills | 5 pink pills | 100 | 0.50 |
Aviane | Barr/Duramed | 5 orange pills | 5 orange pills | 100 | 0.50 |
Cryselle | Barr/Duramed | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Enpresse | Barr/Duramed | 4 orange pills | 4 orange pills | 120 | 0.50 |
Jolessa | Barr/Duramed | 4 pink pills | 4 pink pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Lessina | Barr/Duramed | 5 pink pills | 5 pink pills | 100 | 0.50 |
Levlen | Berlex | 4 light-orange pills | 4 light-orange pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Levlite | Berlex | 5 pink pills | 5 pink pills | 100 | 0.50 |
Levora | Watson | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Lo/Ovral | Wyeth-Ayerst | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Low-Ogestrel | Watson | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Lutera | Watson | 5 white pills | 5 white pills | 100 | 0.50 |
Lybrel | Wyeth-Ayerst | 6 yellow pills | 6 yellow pills | 120 | 0.54 |
Nordette | Wyeth-Ayerst | 4 light-orange pills | 4 light-orange pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Ogestrel | Watson | 2 white pills | 2 white pills | 100 | 0.50 |
Ovral | Wyeth-Ayerst | 2 white pills | 2 white pills | 100 | 0.50 |
Portia | Barr/Duramed | 4 pink pills | 4 pink pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Quasense | Watson | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Seasonale | Barr/Duramed | 4 pink pills | 4 pink pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Seasonique | Barr/Duramed | 4 light-blue-green pills | 4 light-blue-green pills | 120 | 0.60 |
Tri-Levlen | Berlex | 4 yellow pills | 4 yellow pills | 120 | 0.50 |
Triphasil | Wyeth-Ayerst | 4 yellow pills | 4 yellow pills | 120 | 0.50 |
Trivora | Watson | 4 pink pills | 4 pink pills | 120 | 0.50 |
Notes:
a Plan-B is the only dedicated product specifically
marketed for emergency contraception. Alesse, Aviane, Cryselle,
Enpresse, Jolessa, Lessina, Levlen, Levlite, Levora, Lo/Ovral, Low-Ogestrel,
Lutera, Lybrel, Nordette, Ogestrel, Ovral, Portia, Quasense, Seasonale, Seasonique,
Tri-Levlen, Triphasil, and Trivora have been declared safe and
effective for use as ECPs by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Outside the United States, more than 50 emergency contraceptive
products are specifically packaged, labeled, and marketed. Levonorgestrel-only ECPs are available
either over-the-counter or from a pharmacist without having to
see a clinician in 50 countries. On August 24, 2006, the
FDA approved Plan B for nonprescription sale to women and men
18 and older.
b The label for Plan B says to take one pill within 72 hours after
unprotected intercourse, and another pill 12 hours later. However,
recent research has found that both Plan B pills can be taken at
the same time. Research has also shown that that all of the brands
listed here are effective when used within 120 hours after unprotected
sex.
c The progestin in Cryselle, Lo/Ovral, Low-Ogestrel,
Ogestrel, and Ovral is norgestrel, which contains two isomers,
only one of which (levonorgestrel) is bioactive; the amount of norgestrel
in each tablet is twice the amount of levonorgestrel.