Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Cathryn Brown, Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, University of Central Lancashire

Emergency contraception: here’s what you probably don’t know but should

The 'morning after pill' can actually be taken up to five days after unprotected sex. Image Point Fr/ Shutterstock

Things don’t always go to plan when it comes to sex. Sometimes condoms break (or are even forgotten altogether) and daily contraceptive pills can be missed. Whatever the reason, if you need to prevent an unplanned pregnancy you might decide to use emergency contraception.

There are three main options for emergency contraception: levonorgestrel tablets (known as Levonelle in the UK and Plan B in the US), ulipristal tablets (EllaOne in the UK and Ella in the US) and having a copper intra-uterine device (IUD – sometimes called the coil) fitted.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.