Hesperian Health Guides
Emergency Contraceptive (EC)
More Information
emergency methods of family planningYou can use special emergency contraception pills or some brands of regular birth control pills to prevent pregnancy within 5 days after unprotected sex (sex without a condom). he number of pills you need to take depends on the amount of estrogen and progestin each pill contains. There are many brands of pills, and some brand names are used for more than one type of pill. The chart below lists only a few common brands for each type of pill. Compare the kind and amount of hormone or hormones in the pills you have to the hormones and instructions in the chart on the next page in order to use them for emergency contraception.
How to use pills for emergency contraception
| Pills for emergency contraception | ||
| Emergency pills containing 1.5 mg (1500 mcg) levonorgestrel (NorLevo 1.5, Plan B One-Step, Postinor-1) | Take one pill, one time only | |
| Emergency pills containing 30 mg ulipristal acetate (Ella, Ella One) | Take one pill, one time only | |
| Emergency pills containing 0.75 mg (750 mcg) levonorgestrel (NorLevo 0.75, Optinor, Postinor-2, Plan B) | Take 2 pills, one time only | |
| Emergency pills containing 50 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 250 mcg levonorgestrel (Tetragynon) | Take 2 pills | Take 2 more pills 12 hours later |
| Combined pills containing 50 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 250 mcg levonorgestrel (Neogynon, Nordiol) or 500 mcg norgestrel (Ogestrel, Ovral) | Take 2 pills | Take 2 more pills 12 hours later |
| Combined pills containing 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 150 mcg levonorgestrel (Microgynon, Nordette) or 300 mcg norgestrel (Lo-Femenal, Lo/Ovral) | Take 4 pills | Take 4 more pills 12 hours later |
| Combined pills containing 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 100 mcg levonorgestrel (Alesse, Lutera) | Take 5 pills | Take 5 more pills 12 hours later |
| Progestin-only pills (minipills) containing 75 mcg norgestrel (Ovrette) | Take 40 pills one time only | |
| Minipills (progestin-only pills) containing 30 mcg levonorgestrel (Microlut, Microval, Norgeston) | Take 50 pills one time only | |
With a pack of 28 pills, use any of the first 21 pills for emergency contraception. Do not use the last 7 pills in a 28-day pack, because these pills do not contain any hormones.
Progestin-only pills and special emergency contraception pills have fewer side effects (headaches and nausea) than combined pills used for emergency family planning.