“Keep in mind, not everyone who is pro-choice believes that abortion should be used in every case. I believe that most teens who…”
—Jenna, 17, NJ
I just had unprotected sex. Is there anything I can do?
It depends on what you mean by "just," and it depends on what you mean by "sex." If a girl had unprotected vaginal sex with a guy in the last 120 hours (about five days), she can take emergency contraception (EC). EC is basically two high doses of certain types of birth control pills taken 12 hours apart. It is NOT an abortion; it helps to keep a girl from getting pregnant.
If you are under 18 years old you will need to get a prescription for emergency contraception unless you live in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Washington State. If you live in one of these states you can get emergency contraception directly from a pharmacist.
If you are 18 or older you can get the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B directly from a pharmacist in ALL 50 states and Washington D.C.
If you need a prescription for EC, you can find a health care provider near you by calling the Emergency Contraception Hotline at 1-888-NOT-2-LATE (668-2528). You can also find a list of providers, as well as answers to your questions about EC, at NOT-2-LATE.com, the Emergency Contraception Web site.
Remember that you must take the first dose of EC within 120 hours of unprotected sex.
The sooner a girl takes EC, the better. EC works within 120 hours after unprotected sex and the closer she takes it to the actual time of sex, the better. It can reduce the chance of a pregnancy by 75 to 89 percent.
As with any birth control pills, there are some possible side effects to taking EC. Some girls experience side effects, but most don’t experience any at all. The most common side effects are nausea and vomiting, although this tends to happen in fewer than half of the girls who take EC. Other common side effects include headache, tender breasts, fatigue and dizziness.
But keep in mind: Pregnancy isn’t the only thing you need to be worried about if you have unprotected intercourse. There are more than 30 sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) out there and many have no symptoms. So you can’t tell who has one just by looking at them. And basically, if you are at risk for pregnancy, or you could have caused a pregnancy, you’re at risk for an STD.
If you had unprotected sex of any kind, you AND your partner should be tested for STDs. Then be sure to use condoms every time you have vaginal or anal sex and condoms or dental dams every time you have oral sex, unless you know for sure that you AND your partner are STD-free. EC offers no protection against STDs.
If you need to find a clinic, click here.
If you need a different type of hotline, check out our list here.
 Find Plan B here: NOT-2-LATE.com |
If you are under 18 years old you will need to get a prescription for emergency contraception unless you live in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Washington State. If you live in one of these states you can get emergency contraception directly from a pharmacist.
If you are 18 or older you can get the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B directly from a pharmacist in ALL 50 states and Washington D.C.
If you need a prescription for EC, you can find a health care provider near you by calling the Emergency Contraception Hotline at 1-888-NOT-2-LATE (668-2528). You can also find a list of providers, as well as answers to your questions about EC, at NOT-2-LATE.com, the Emergency Contraception Web site.
Remember that you must take the first dose of EC within 120 hours of unprotected sex.
The sooner a girl takes EC, the better. EC works within 120 hours after unprotected sex and the closer she takes it to the actual time of sex, the better. It can reduce the chance of a pregnancy by 75 to 89 percent.
As with any birth control pills, there are some possible side effects to taking EC. Some girls experience side effects, but most don’t experience any at all. The most common side effects are nausea and vomiting, although this tends to happen in fewer than half of the girls who take EC. Other common side effects include headache, tender breasts, fatigue and dizziness.
But keep in mind: Pregnancy isn’t the only thing you need to be worried about if you have unprotected intercourse. There are more than 30 sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) out there and many have no symptoms. So you can’t tell who has one just by looking at them. And basically, if you are at risk for pregnancy, or you could have caused a pregnancy, you’re at risk for an STD.
If you had unprotected sex of any kind, you AND your partner should be tested for STDs. Then be sure to use condoms every time you have vaginal or anal sex and condoms or dental dams every time you have oral sex, unless you know for sure that you AND your partner are STD-free. EC offers no protection against STDs.
If you need to find a clinic, click here.
If you need a different type of hotline, check out our list here.
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Your Comments
RE: help!!!!!!!
Posted by: DanR on Jun 30th, 2008 1:44pm
If he pulled out before he ejaculated, then your chances of
being pregnant are very low. I am not familiar with the
laws and resources available in Hong Kong, but I was able to
find this web site:
http://www.famplan.org.hk/fpahk/en/template1.asp?style=templ
ate1.asp
help!!!!!!!
Posted by: omgimscared on Jun 26th, 2008 2:18pm
i had sex for the first time on june 25 and the guy pulled
out but im still scared. my period ended on june 25 th as
well so what are my chances of being pregenant? i live in
hong kong right now..what kind of emergency contraceptives
are available here? do i have to be 18 to get it?
RE: Birth Control and EC?
Posted by: DanR on Jun 23rd, 2008 9:35am
Unfortunately, I do not have the answer to your question.
Since you have only been on BC for 4 days, I do suggest that
you take EC, but I would suggest contacting the doctor who
prescribed your birth control and ask them if you should
continue to take your BC with the EC. Remember, you only
have up to 5 days to take EC, so be sure to check in with
your doctor or a local clinic as soon as possible. Good
Luck!
Birth Control and EC?
Posted by: lovelymishap on Jun 21st, 2008 10:46pm
I had unprotected sex this morning. I started taking birth
control pills 4 days ago, and I know they aren't supposed to
be effective for the first week in preventing a pregnancy.
Should I take Plan B? and will it affect my regular birth
control? Should I still take both at the same time??
HELP!!!
RE: help me
Posted by: DanR on May 28th, 2008 9:43am
If you are using your birth control properly all the time
(everyday around the same time) it will reduce your chances
of pregnancy significantly. If not, you could get pregnant.
If you are worried, there is always Plan B (also called the
morning after pill). Check out this link for more
information on Plan B:
http://www.sexetc.org/faq/birth_control/971. Also keep in
mind that when you don't use any type of latex barrier, you
are putting yourself at higher risk for STDs.
help me
Posted by: ilovehim4 on May 27th, 2008 11:38am
i'm on birth control, but i had sex a few week ago when i
was on my period 2 days in a row and my bf cummed inside me
both times. we have sex everyday but he always takes it out.
yesterday we had sex but he left it in. can i be pregnant?
even if i'm in birth control...if so how soon will i be able
to tell?
RE: question..
Posted by: DanR on Mar 27th, 2008 9:36am
Plan B is a high dose of birth control that can be taken up
to 5 days after unprotected sex. The sooner it is taken
after unprotected sex, the more effective it is. Because
Plan B is working to prevent you from ovulating, you should
be OK, but may not be 100% effective. You should not use
Plan B as a regular form of birth control, and you should
know that Plan B does not protect you against STDs. For
more information on Plan B, check out this site:
http://ec.princeton.edu/.
question..
Posted by: Morginne on Mar 27th, 2008 2:40am
Do you know how effective plan B is if you take it the day
you had unprotected sex.. like say i had sex @ 2 AM on
monday, and took the pill at 2pm.. then at midnight on that
same day, i had unprotected sex again.. is it still
effective since it's in my system still? HELP!!
RE: This might sound so stupid
Posted by: DanR on Jan 24th, 2008 1:13pm
Not stupid at all! It is great that you have taken such
care in preventing pregnancy. A couple of important facts
for you: unless your boyfriend had ejaculated prior, there
is no sperm in pre-cum. If there was, the combination of
your birth control pill and Plan B are a good source of
protection. My two words of caution are to make sure you
are taking your birth control pills regularly or they are
not as effective, and to make sure you are also using
protection against STDs as well.
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RE: help!!!!!!!
Posted by: DanR on Jun 30th, 2008 1:47pm
Sorry the whole web site did not appear on the page. That
site again is:
http://www.famplan.org.hk/fpahk/en/template1.asp?style=templ
ate1.asp&content=sexual/contra.asp&type=11. Contact them
today if you think you are going to need EC. Good Luck!