Best Plan B Pill

Best Plan B Pill

Medically Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on April 17, 2020
Levonorgestrel is a hormone that can be used for emergency contraception. Emergency contraception should not be used as a routine method of birth control.
Levonorgestrel can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. People sometimes call it the "morning after pill." But you don't have to wait until the morning after sex to take it. In fact, levonorgestrel is more effective the sooner you take it. It is a one-dose regimen: you take one pill. The pill contains 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel , which is used in lower doses in many birth control pills .
Levonorgestrel brands include Econtra EZ, My Way, Next Choice One Dose, Plan B One Step, Preventeza, and Take Action. These are given as a one pill emergency contraception or as 2 pills taken separately within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
Depending upon where you are in your cycle, levonorgestrel helps prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. It may prevent or delay ovulation .
Levonorgestrel is not the same as RU-486, which is an abortion pill. It does not cause a miscarriage or abortion. It will not work if you are already pregnant when you take it. Learn more about how emergency contraception works .
If you take the pill within 72 hours after you've had unprotected sex, levonorgestrel can reduce the risk of pregnancy by up to 87% if taken as directed. If you take Plan B One-Step within 24 hours, it is much more effective.
But you should know that Plan B One-Step is not as effective as regular contraception . So don't take it as a form of birth control . And, it does not protect you against sexually transmitted diseases. Think of it as a backup -- not for routine use. That's why it's called Plan B. Get more information on emergency contraception and its effectiveness.
Plan B One Step can be purchased over the counter at drugstores without a prescription or proof of age. Because it is most effective when taken as soon as possible (up to 72 hours after unprotected sex), consider having a ready supply in your medicine cabinet. Better yet, use a reliable form of birth control, and plan for a backup method of birth control.
Remember:Plan B will not protect you from getting pregnant if you have unprotected sex after taking it. To protect you against getting pregnant, you need to take it right after you have unprotected sex and use a form a contraception when you have sex
Many women have taken emergency contraception without serious complications. But it's a good idea to ask your doctor about possible interactions with other medications .
Levonorgestrel is considered safe for most women. You should not take it if you are pregnant because it will not end the pregnancy.
Potential side effects of levonorgestrel include:
If you vomit within two hours after taking the drug, call a healthcare professional to find out if you should repeat the dose.
With levonorgestrel, you may also have some unexpected bleeding. It should go away by the time of your next period. However, it is possible that levonorgestrel may cause your next period to be heavier or lighter than usual. It may also come earlier or later than is normal for you. If you don't get your period within three weeks, get a pregnancy test to make sure you're not pregnant. Read more on emergency contraception side effects .
FDA: "FDA's Decision Regarding Plan B: Questions and Answers" and "Plan B (0.75mg levonorgestrel) and Plan B One-Step (1.5 mg levonorgestrel) Tablets Information."
The National Women's Health Information Center: "Emergency Contraception (Emergency Birth Control)."
Planned Parenthood: "Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill)."
Office of Population Research, Princeton University: "Get Emergency Contraception NOW."
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: "Plan B One-Step Emergency Contraception."
UpToDate.com: "Emergency Contraception." "Intrauterine Contraception."
What you should know to prevent pregnancy.
© 2005 - 2022 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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Emergency contraception is a safe way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. There are a few types of emergency contraception, and some work better than others.
There are 2 ways to prevent pregnancy after you have unprotected sex:
Option 1: There are certain IUDs you can get within 120 hours (five days) after having unprotected sex. This is the most effective type of emergency contraception. These IUDs work as well on day one as on day five.
Option 2: Take an emergency contraception pill (AKA the morning-after pill) within 120 hours (five days) after having unprotected sex. There are 2 types of morning-after pills:
A pill with ulipristal acetate. There’s only one brand, called ella.
ella is the most effective type of morning-after pill.
You need a prescription from a nurse or doctor to get ella emergency contraception, but you can get a fast medical consultation and prescription with next-day delivery online .
You can take ella up to 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex — but it’s best to take it as soon as you can.
If you weigh 195 pounds or more, ella may work less well.
A pill with levonorgestrel . Brand names include: Plan B One Step, Take Action, My Way, Option 2, Preventeza, AfterPill, My Choice, Aftera, EContra, and others.
You can buy levonorgestrel morning-after pills over the counter without a prescription in most drugstores, pharmacies, and superstores.
These types of morning-after pills work best when you take them within 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex, but you can take them up to five days after. The sooner you take them, the better they work.
If you weigh more than 165 pounds, levonorgestrel morning-after pills may not work.
You can use emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy if:
you didn’t use a condom or other birth control method when you had vaginal sex
you made a mistake with your regular birth control (forgot to take your birth control pills, change your patch or ring, or get your shot on time) and had vaginal sex
your condom broke or slipped off after ejaculation (cumming)
your partner didn't pull out in time
you were forced to have unprotected vaginal sex
If you use emergency contraception correctly after you have unprotected sex, it makes it much less likely that you’ll get pregnant. Emergency contraception pills are safe, don’t cause any long-term side effects, and won’t affect your ability to get pregnant in the future. But using them as your only regular birth control isn’t a great idea because they’re not as effective — or as affordable — as regular, non-emergency birth control methods (like the implant , pill , or condoms ).
If you have sex (or think you might have it in the future), take our quiz to help you find the best method of birth control for you.
The best emergency contraception (EC) for you depends on a few things:
How long it’s been since you had unprotected sex — you have up to five days after unprotected sex to use emergency contraception.
Plan B works better the sooner you take it. Plan B doesn’t work nearly as well after three days (72 hours).
It’s better to take ella as soon as you can. But ella is more effective than Plan B, no matter when you take it.
The Paragard, Mirena, and Liletta IUDs are the best at preventing pregnancy, and they work as well on day five as they do on day one.
Plan B may not work if you weigh more than 165 pounds.
ella may work less well if you weigh 195 pounds or more.
IUDs work just as well no matter how much you weigh.
Which kind of EC is easiest for you to get
Plan B is usually the easiest — anyone can buy it over-the-counter without a prescription at most drugstores, pharmacies, and superstores, no matter your age or gender.
ella can be harder to get than Plan B because you need a prescription. You can call your doctor or nurse for a prescription, go to your local Planned Parenthood health center , or buy it online . Depending on where you live you may also be able to order ella online through the Planned Parenthood Direct app .
An IUD can be hard to get within five days because you need an appointment for a nurse or doctor to put it in.
Plan B and IUDs won’t affect your breast milk.
If you use ella, you’ll need to pump and throw away your breast milk for 36 hours after taking it.
If you can’t get the most effective types of emergency contraception, remember that using whichever method you can get is still better than not using anything at all. And timing is really important — you only have up to five days after unprotected sex to use emergency contraception, and sooner is better. In fact, many people get the morning-after pill ahead of time and keep it at home, so they can take it as soon as possible if they need it.
Don’t use two different kinds of morning-after pills (like Plan B and ella) at the same time or within five days of each other, because they may counteract each other and not work at all.
If you have questions about emergency contraception, you can talk with an educator on our Chat/Text line , or call your local Planned Parenthood health center .
You can use emergency contraception up to five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. So it’s important to act quickly so you have the best options possible. It can take time to get emergency contraception, so the sooner you start looking for it, the better.
IUDs and ella are just as effective throughout the five days. Plan B, My Way, Take Action, and other levonorgestrel morning-after pills work less well after three days (72 hours).
Morning-after pills are safe — millions of people have used different kinds of emergency contraception for more than 30 years. There have been no reports of serious complications. Morning-after pills don’t cause any long-term side effects, and they won’t change your ability to get pregnant in the future.
Taking the morning-after pill multiple times is safe and won’t hurt you. But it’s not a good idea to use the morning-after pill as your regular, go-to method of birth control. This is because:
The morning-after pill doesn’t prevent pregnancy as well as other types of birth control like the IUD , implant , pill , shot , or ring .
Taking the morning-after pill over and over again is usually more expensive and less convenient than being on a regular method of birth control.
Morning-after pill side effects — like bleeding between periods or nausea — are temporary and harmless, but they can be annoying.
So it’s totally safe to take the morning-after pill as many times as you need to — it’s just not the best way to prevent unintended pregnancies long-term. Birth control that you use before or during sex (like the IUD , implant , pill , condoms , etc.) is way more effective, affordable and convenient.
Don’t use two different kinds of morning-after pills (like Plan B and ella) at the same time or within five days of each other, because they may counteract each other and not work at all.
One of the most convenient things about getting an IUD as emergency contraception is that it keeps giving you super effective birth control for up to 7 to 12 years (depending on which one you get). So once you get an IUD, you won’t have to worry about pregnancy again (until you stop using the IUD).
Pregnancy doesn't happen right after you have sex — that's why it's possible to prevent pregnancy a few days after you do it. It’s all about timing.
Sperm can live inside your body for up to six days after sex, waiting for an egg to show up. If you ovulate during that time, the sperm can meet up with your egg and cause pregnancy. Morning-after pills work by temporarily stopping your ovary from releasing an egg. It’s kind of like pulling the emergency brake on ovulation. Where you’re at in your menstrual cycle and how soon after unprotected sex you take the morning-after pill can affect how well it prevents pregnancy. Morning-after pills won’t work if your body has already started ovulating.
This is why timing is so important, especially if you’re using Plan B and other levonorgestrel morning-after pills. (ella works closer to the time of ovulation than levonorg
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