Yes, you can take emergency contraceptive pills while breastfeeding. You can also have the IUD fitted while breastfeeding as long as you are more than 28 days post-delivery.

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Yes – Levonorgestrel (LNG) becomes less effective the longer you wait to take it. A trial undertaken by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that levonorgestrel (the drug in LNG) prevented:

• 95% of expected pregnancies when taken within 24 hours of sex
• 85% if taken within 25-48 hours
• 58% if taken within 49-72 hours.

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The emergency contraceptive pill will not prevent future pregnancies if you have unprotected sex again, so you should make sure you are taking your contraception correctly.

For Levonorgestrel (LNG): If you are using emergency contraception because you forgot your regular pill or did not use the patch or vaginal ring correctly, you should take your regular pill again, insert a new ring or apply a new patch. Use additional contraception, such as condoms:

• For seven days with the patch, the ring and the combined pill
• For two days with the progestogen-only pill.

For Ulipristal acetate (UPA): If you forgot your regular pills, did not use the patch or vaginal ring correctly, or want to start using hormonal contraception, you should wait for 5 days after taking UPA. This is because UPA can can reduce the effect of hormonal contraception.

• Use additional contraception, such as condoms:
• With the patch, the ring and the combined pill, for 7 days (9 days for Qlaira pill)
• With the progestogen only pill, for two days.

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Your period is likely to come on time or a few days early or late. Sometimes it can be a week late and sometimes even later. You may have some irregular bleeding after you take the pill, and before your next period. This can range from spotting to quite heavy bleeding. If your period is over a week late, take a pregnancy test.

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Your period may come on time or a few days early or late. If your period is over a week late, take a pregnancy test.

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The sooner you take Levonorgestrel (LNG) or Ulipristal acetate (UPA), the more effective it will be.

If your next period is more than seven days late, or is unusually light or short, contact your GP as soon as possible to check for pregnancy.

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Emergency hormonal contraceptive pills are a very good option to reduce your risk of pregnancy after unprotected sex. However, using emergency hormonal contraceptive pills repeatedly is much less effective than using a regular method of contraception as they are only effective if taken before you have ovulated. Therefore they are not recommended as a regular method of contraception.

It is important to note that if you have taken emergency hormonal contraception once, it will not protect you from pregnancy if you have sex again during that cycle - in this situation you would have to take another dose of emergency contraceptive pill or have an IUD (copper coil) fitted.

Emergency hormonal contraceptive pills can be taken more than once in during a menstrual cycle. However, if you take two emergency contraceptive pills within 7 days, they must be the same type of pill, they will be less effective if you take a LNG pill and a UPA pill within the same week.

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If you are unsure about either of these things, and you think you may have had unprotected sex in the last 72 hours, you should take emergency contraception.

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Emergency contraceptive pills can become less effective at preventing pregnancy if you are taking other medicines (including those used to treat epilepsy, HIV and TB, other antibiotics and the herbal medicine St John’s Wort).

• Ulipristal acetate (UPA) cannot be used if you are already taking one of these medicines, as it may not be effective
• Levonorgestrel (LNG) may still be used, but the dose may need to be increased – your doctor or pharmacist can advise on this
• Ask your GP, clinician or pharmacist and read the information that comes with your medicine
• Ulipristal acetate (UPA) may not be suitable for people who are using proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole (antacids that regulate their stomach acid levels).

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If you need emergency contraception for recent unprotected sex, you will be asked:

• when you have had unprotected sex in your current menstrual cycle
• the date your last period started
• sometimes you'll be asked the usual length of your cycle (from the start of one period to the next)
• details of any contraceptive failure (such as how many pills you may have missed, and when)
• if you use medication
• your medical history and sexual health history.

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Ask your GP or nurse if you want to get the emergency contraceptive pill in advance if:

• You are worried about your contraceptive method failing
• You are going on holiday
• You cannot get hold of emergency contraception easily.

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