Emergency Contraception while Taking Hormonal Birth Control

• If a woman is taking birth control pills correctly, there is no need to take emergency contraception. If she has forgotten her pill for two or more days, it is safe to take emergency contraception. Her doctor will probably recommend she wait until her next menstrual cycle before starting a new pack of pills.
  
  

Types

• Emergency contraception can take the form of a pill or an intrauterine device (IUD). Regular birth control pills containing the hormones progestin and estrogen can sometimes be prescribed as a form of emergency contraception. The pills are prescribed at a higher dose than regular, daily use. Brand name emergency contraception pills include Plan B and Next Choice. These pills contain only progestin.
  
  

Effectiveness

• All forms of emergency contraception are more effective the sooner they are taken after unprotected sex. The pills must be taken within five days, and an IUD can be implanted within seven days.
  
  

Function

• Emergency contraception works by preventing ovaries from releasing an egg, preventing sperm from fertilizing an egg or preventing a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.
  
  

Side Effects

• The most common side effects are nausea and bleeding between periods.