Emergency contraception

Emergency contraception

An image of an emergency contraception pill

Emergency Contraception (EC) can stop a pregnancy before it starts. (That means the EC pills are not the same as the abortion pill.) There are four types of EC to choose from and they all work up to 5 days (or 120 hours) after unprotected sex. But use it sooner rather than later to reduce the possibility of getting pregnant.

Types of Emergency Contraceptions

Non-hormonal copper IUD (Paragard)
ella
Levonorgestrel-based pills

Plan B One-Step, Next Choice One Dose, Next Choice, EContra One-Step, My Way, After Pill and Levonorgestrel. Available over the counter or online without a prescription. Similar to birth control pills, but at a much higher dose. Can work up to 5 days after unprotected sex, but effectiveness decreases each day.

Details
Emergency Contraception (EC) can stop a pregnancy before it starts. (That means the EC pills are _not_ the same as the abortion pill.) There are four types of EC to choose from and they all work up to 5 days (or 120 hours) after unprotected sex. But use it sooner rather than later to reduce the possibility of getting pregnant.
The price of EC can vary a lot depending on where you get it (pharmacy vs. health center) and which type you decide to use. Keep in mind that if you buy over-the-counter EC, it won't necessarily be covered by health insurance. ### Prices for Paragard* * **This method may be [free or low-cost for you](/free_birth_control)** * **With Medicaid:** Free * **With insurance:** [Free under most plans](/features/257) * **Without insurance:** Depending on your income, you may be able to go to [a low-cost clinic](/free_birth_control) to get Paragard at reduced cost. The full price of Paragard can range from $500 - $932. To see how this translates over a year, here’s what it would cost to pay for Paragard month-to-month at full price. * **Cost per month over one year:** $41 - $77 * **Cost per month over five years:** $8 - $15 * **Cost per month over 10 years:** $4 - $7 * **Payment assistance:** If you don't have insurance, the manufacturer offers payment plans where you can make 4 or 12 monthly payments. Contact the manufacturer at Paragard.com or 1-877-727-2427 to find out more. Also, check with your [local family planning clinics](/where_to_get_it) to find out if they offer free or low-cost IUDs (many do). ### Prices for ella:* * **With Medicaid:** Free * **With insurance:** [Free under most plans](/features/257), though if you order it online or get it at the pharmacy you may need to claim it with your insurance company to get it covered. * **Without insurance:** ella is available online through an [online health care prescription service, Kwikmed](http://www.ella-kwikmed.com/) and through [PRJKT RUBY](https://www.prjktruby.com/) for a flat rate of $67.00 including next-day delivery. * **Payment assistance:** Check with [your local family planning clinics](/where_to_get_it) to find out if they offer free or low cost EC (most do). ### Prices for Plan B One-Step and generic levonorgestrel-based EC pills:* * **With Medicaid:** Free * **With insurance:** [Free if you can get a prescription](/features/257) (otherwise see the "without insurance" section). * **Without insurance:** $35 - $49.99 in stores and pharmacies; $21.00 - $49.99 online. #### In-store vendors Levonorgestrel-based EC pills are sold without a prescription at CVS, Target, Walgreens, Walmart, and many other stores and pharmacies. Prices can range from $25 - $39.99. #### Online vendors Tip: If it's not an emergency and you just want to have some EC on hand, you can get EC from [AfterPill.com](https://afterpill.com) for $25 including standard shipping. We found Plan B One-Step and some of its generic forms including AfterPill, Take Action, Next Choice, My Way, and EContra EZ for sale through a bunch of different websites: #### Plan B One-Step * Amazon.com: $31.60 - $38.50 * CVS.com: $49.99 * Drugstore.com: $49.99 * RiteAid.com: $49.99 * Target.com: $49.99 * Walgreens.com: $49.99 * Walmart.com: $46.87 #### AfterPill * AfterPill.com: $25.00 * Amazon.com: $23.35 - $30.00 #### EContra EZ * PRJKTRUBY.com: $25.00 #### My Way * Amazon.com: $30.50 * RightAid.com: $39.99 #### Next Choice * Drugstore.com: $39.99 #### Take Action * Amazon.com: $24.70 * CVS.com: $39.99 * Drugstore.com: $39.99 * Target.com: $39.99 * Walgreens.com: $39.99 * Walmart.com: $34.78 _Note: These prices are averaged—including taxes and standard shipping costs—from a survey of select online vendors as of June 2016. Prices may change over time._ * **Payment assistance:** Check with [your local family planning clinics](/where_to_get_it) to find out if they offer free or low cost EC (most do). Also, manufacturers will sometimes offer money-saving coupons on their websites.

Emergency Contraception isn’t a method you should rely on all the time—there are much more effective methods out there. But if you have unprotected sex, it’s the quickest and easiest “after-the-fact” option out there. Here are the different types you can choose from.

####Copper-T IUD This is [the most effective](/features/110) EC there is. If you get the Paragard [IUD](/birth-control/iud#details_tab) inserted within 5 days after unprotected sex, it can lower the chance of pregnancy by 99.9%. You’ll need to make an appointment with a health care provider to have this procedure. ####ella You need a prescription to pick up [ella](/features/87) at a local pharmacy. In some states, you can order it from an [online pharmacy](https://www.prjktruby.com/products/ella/) without getting a prescription first (they handle that for you on their website). There’s no age limit to access ella. Take the one-pill formula within 5 days after unprotected sex. ####Levonorgestrel-based pills [Levonorgestrel-based EC pills are available off the shelf](/features/285) at pharmacies and grocery stores to anyone with no age restrictions. That means you should be able to buy Plan B One-Step or generic options like Next Choice One Dose, My Way, and Levonorgestrel without having a prescription or showing your ID. All levonorgestrel-based EC pills work like birth control pills, but at a much higher dose and taken temporarily. Best used as soon as possible, though they can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex.

Plan B One-Step, Next Choice One Dose, and My Way consist of just one pill that's to be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex. (The original Plan B consisted of two pills and is no longer being sold.)

Next Choice and Levonorgestrel are both two-pill formulas. The instructions say to take one pill right away and the second 12 hours later, but research shows you can also take both pills at the same time.
Remember: Use EC as soon as possible after you’ve had unprotected sex. The sooner you take it, the better—within 24-hours to three days is ideal. But EC will still reduce your risk of pregnancy for up to 5 days. (The instructions for Plan B and Next Choice say to take it within 72 hours after sex, but studies show that Plan B One-Step, Next Choice, and Levonorgestrel can be taken up to 5 days after sex.)

There are positive and negative things to say about each and every method. And everyone's different—so what you experience may not be the same as what your friend experiences.

The Positive

Positive “side effects”? You bet. There are actually lots of things about birth control that are good for your body as well as your sex life.

The Negative

Everyone worries about negative side effects, but for many women, they’re not a problem. And if you do experience side effects with EC, they’ll probably go away after 24 hours.
Do you have questions about Emergency contraception? Visit Bedsider.org for answers to many of the most popular questions about this method of birth control.