Emergency contraception (EC)  is a high dose of birth control pills that a female can take up to five days after having unprotected sexual intercourse. It is also referred to as the "morning-after pill."
 

Basically, EC is used for emergencies—the condom breaks, a girl forgets to take her birth control pill or she is raped—to prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse has already happened.

EC has fake—or synthetic—hormones that stop a female from ovulating (releasing an egg), prevent fertilization of an egg or stop a fertilized egg from implanting or attaching to the uterus. All three would prevent a pregnancy.

There is only one brand of EC available in the U.S. called Plan B. A girl takes two doses of Plan B -- one as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, and another a certain number of hours later.

When taken within three days of unprotected sex, EC prevents pregnancy about 75 to 89 percent of the time. The sooner it is taken after unprotected sex, the better the chances that it  will work.

The pills come with some side effects, including nausea and vomiting. If a girl vomits less than an hour after taking EC, she should repeat the dose. Other common side effects are irregular periods and spotting for a month or so after using EC.

If you are under 17 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 17 or older you can now get Plan B directly from a pharmacist.

If you need a prescription for EC, you can find a list of providers, as well as answers to your questions about EC, at NOT-2-LATE.com, the Emergency Contraception Web site.

Some girls and women get a prescription for EC in advance, to have on hand, just in case something happens. You can get EC without your parent's permission. But, remember, EC should never be used as a regular form of birth control.

EC is not nearly as effective as other forms of birth control, such as the Pill or Depo-Provera, which prevent pregnancy about 97 percent of the time, compared to EC's 75- to 89-percent effectiveness rate.

Cost varies, depending on where you get EC. Some clinics and doctor's office will offer a low-cost or sliding scale fee for teens. For more information and to find a provider, go to www.not-2-late.com.