how late can the morning after pill be taken?
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Levonorgestrel (sometimes known as the branded Levonelle) must be taken within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex. ellaOne must be taken within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected sex. Both pills are most effective when taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex.
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Emergency contraception is a way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. Often called the morning-after pill, emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are pills that can be taken up to 120 hours (5 days) after having unprotected sex.
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In the United States, the progestin-only emergency contraception pill can be purchased in pharmacies by anyone of any age without a prescription (1). You should take it as soon as you can after unprotected sex, but it's most effective if taken within 72 hours (1). You can take it for up to five days after intercourse.
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The morning after pill is about 95% effective when taken within 24 hours of having unprotected sex or a birth control mishap.
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The 'morning after' pill is an emergency contraceptive but can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex. It is used to reduce the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex and is 90% effective if taken in the first 24 hours after unprotected sex.
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When a person takes Plan B correctly, and within 3 days of having sex without using contraception, it can educe the chance of pregnancy by up to 89%. It is possible to take Plan B up to 5 days after having sex, but it becomes less effective the longer a person waits.
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In fact, if you don't have access to a morning-after pill, you can use regular birth control pills as a form of EC. To do this, take one pill as soon as possible after you've had unprotected sex. Take the second pill 12 hours later.
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You need to take the emergency contraceptive pill within 3 days (Levonelle) or 5 days (ellaOne) of unprotected sex for it to be effective – the sooner you take it, the more effective it'll be.
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The doses are different, though. In fact, if you don't have access to a morning-after pill, you can use regular birth control pills as a form of EC. To do this, take one pill as soon as possible after you've had unprotected sex. Take the second pill 12 hours later.
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Even though emergency contraception is often called the “morning after pill” or “day after pill,” it may be effective for up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex.
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You don't take it soon enough. The major caveat here is that they work best when taken within 72 hours, then the efficacy starts dropping. Within three days after unprotected sex, these kinds of morning-after pills are between 75 and 89 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, according to Planned Parenthood.
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It is possible to take Plan B up to 5 days after having sex, but it becomes less effective the longer a person waits. A 2019 review suggests that those who use morning-after pills as a regular form of contraception have a chance of becoming pregnant within 12 months.
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The morning after pill is taken soon after sex to reduce the risk of pregnancy. The name is misleading — the morning after pill can be taken up to 3 or up to 5 days after sex, depending on the type of pill.
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Taking the morning-after pill — emergency contraception — more than five days after unprotected vaginal intercourse won't have any effect. Emergency contraception — the morning-after pill — is effective if started within 120 hours, or five days. The sooner emergency contraception is started, the better it works.
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Emergency oral contraception (morning after pill) The morning after pill can be obtained from a doctor, nurse or pharmacist (without a prescription). This is a backup method of birth control that can be taken a maximum of 5 days after unprotected sex.
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So use a backup method of birth control for 7 days. If you miss pills and have had sex without a backup method of birth control, you can use emergency contraception, such as Plan B. You can use emergency contraception for up to 5 days after having had sex, but it works best if you take it right away.
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You can buy these morning-after pills over the counter without a prescription in most drugstores and pharmacies. These types of morning-after pills work best when you take them within 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex, but you can take them up to 5 days after. The sooner you take them, the better they work.