Prescription EC pill (ella)

In the U.S. there are a bunch of types of birth control available over the counter without a prescription or talking to a pharmacist. Condoms, internal condoms, spermicide, the sponge, as well as emergency contraception pills and one type of birth control pill.

If the condom breaks—or leaks or spills—you can prevent pregnancy by using emergency contraception up to five days after it happens. Just remember, EC pills are more effective the sooner you take them. You may also want to get tested for STIs and consider taking medications to prevent HIV if your partner has HIV or you are unsure about the HIV status of the person you had sex with.

Yes. You can take emergency contraception (a.k.a. the morning-after pill) at any time of day for up to 5 days after unprotected sex. For over-the-counter emergency contraception pills like Plan B One-Step, Next Choice, Next Choice One Dose, and levonorgestrel, the sooner you take them, the more effective they are and work best within 3 days. The prescription emergency contraceptive pill (ella) doesn’t decrease in effectiveness over those 5 days.

That may depend on where you were in your cycle when you took the EC. Your period may be a little early, a little late, or right on time. A pregnancy test can detect if you are pregnant around 2 weeks after having sex, so if you don’t get your period when you were expecting it, you can take a pregnancy test.

No, emergency contraception (EC) is not the same thing as the abortion pill. If you’re already pregnant (even if you don’t know it yet), EC won’t work. EC works to prevent a pregnancy from starting, whereas the abortion pill is used to end a pregnancy. And if you accidentally take EC before you know you’re pregnant, it won’t hurt you or the pregnancy. Check out our guide to how EC, birth control, and the abortion pill work and how and when to use them.

There are a bunch of generic types of over-the-counter emergency contraception pills for sale without a prescription in person and online. Generics are usually cheaper than brand names, and the cheapest is around $25, including shipping. EC pills are more effective at preventing pregnancy the sooner you take them, so if you think you might need EC in the future, you can get it shipped now to have it on hand when you need it.

Plan B One-Step, Next Choice One Dose, My Way, and ella consist of just one pill that’s to be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex. If you’re taking a generic with two pills, research shows you can take both pills at the same time—you don’t have to wait 12 hours after taking the first to take the second.

For more information, check out our section on How To Use emergency contraception.