For anyone who has ever had sex without protection, emergency contraception — which used to be called the ‘morning after pill’ — well, let’s just say it’s a lifesaver.

Mistakes happen: a condom might slip or break, or you may forget to take your birth control pills on time. If this happens to you, it can be pretty stressful! But thankfully emergency contraception is available to sort it out.

How does emergency contraception work?

Like the name suggests, emergency contraception can be taken after having unprotected sex. It prevents pregnancy by stopping the egg being released. 

Emergency contraception is most effective when taken soon after unprotected sex:

• 95% effective if taken within 24 hours (1 day) after unprotected sex
• 85% effective if taken within 25-48 hours (2 days) after unprotected sex
• 58% effective if taken within 49-72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex 

Basically, take it as soon as you can to avoid pregnancy. You can take it any time of the day or night, you don’t need to wait until morning (that’s a myth!). Learn more about how emergency contraception works here.

What happens when you take emergency contraception?

You will either swallow one or two pills taken together. These pills will prevent pregnancy

Where can I get emergency contraception? 

You can get emergency contraception from your chemist or pharmacist. It doesn’t matter how old you are, everyone can access emergency contraception.

To work out what kind of emergency contraception will work best for you, the pharmacist will need to ask you some questions such as:

• Your reason for needing emergency contraception
• How long ago you had unprotected sex
• Information about your menstrual cycle (periods)

Read more about getting emergency contraception from a pharmacy here. 

You could also visit a Sexual Health Clinic for more information. Follow the links below to find a clinic near you:

• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia