The Emergency Contraception Pill
Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Maybe the condom broke or slipped off. Maybe you had sex when you were drunk or high, and you didn’t use a condom. Or maybe you just got caught up in the moment and went in unprotected. Whatever the reason, you may have started yourself down the road to fatherhood without meaning to.
So, you’re thinking to yourself, “Uh oh, that was probably not such a good idea.” What do you do about it? Well, lucky for you there is an option for those moments when your judgment was not so good or an accident happens. It’s called the Emergency Contraceptive Pill, or ECP. To prevent pregnancy, ECP can be taken by your female partner within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
What is ECP?
The Emergency Contraceptive Pill is actually two pills. The pills have hormones in them like the ones in the birth control pill. If taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, those hormones can reduce the chances of pregnancy.
When should ECP be used?
You should not consider ECP as a regular form of birth control.
It should be used for emergencies only. ECP should be taken for the following situations:
• You had unprotected sex with a girl.
• You tried to “pull out” but didn’t.
• The condom broke or slipped off.
• Your sperm, for whatever reason, came in contact with any area around your partner’s vagina.
• Your partner forgot to take her birth control pills, is taking medication that makes the Pill not work right, or has thrown up within an hour of taking the Pill.
• She was forced to have sex, was sexually assaulted, or was abused.
Does ECP work?
If taken within 72 hours, ECP can reduce the chance of pregnancy BUT there are no guarantees. Depending on the kind of ECP taken, chances of getting pregnant can be reduced by 75%–85%. This still leaves a 15%–25% chance that pregnancy will occur. To be safer, it is best to use a reliable form of birth control and avoid needing to use ECP. If your partner is already pregnant, from previous sex or if more than 72 hours has passed, ECP will NOT make the pregnancy go away. ECP is not an abortion pill.
How will ECP affect my partner?
The most common side effect of ECP is feeling sick and throwing up. Some doctors give a woman something to take in order to prevent that. If your partner throws up within one hour of taking ECP, she will have to take it again. Other side effects may be sore breasts, headache, and bloating.
How do we get ECP?
You don’t need to have a prescription to get ECP, but you will have to ask for it. You can get it by visiting your doctor, a health clinic, or the hospital emergency department. You can also get it from a drug store, but it is behind the counter so you will have to ask the pharmacist to get it for you. Prices can vary from place to place so you can call around to find the cheapest.
Don’t hesitate—the faster you can get ECP, the better.
How will we know if it worked?
If you partner gets her period within three weeks of taking
ECP, she should be safe. However, if she doesn’t get her period, you are going to need to take a pregnancy test. ECP can cause irregular bleeding so her period may not come when expected.
Remember that ECP is not as effective as condoms, the Pill, and other forms of birth control.
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