Morning-after pill and options after unprotected sex

Author: Jessica Lloyd
Senior Vulvovaginal Specialist Naturopath | BHSc(N) | ISSVD, ISSWSH, BSSM, ATMS

Last reviewed: July 20, 2026

If you’ve found yourself unexpectedly pregnant, or you think you might be, there are some steps you can take – first to work out where you stand, then to make the decision that’s right for you.

Nobody has to know what you choose to do. It is your choice, and it can be private. If you’re not sure where to start, a sexual health or family planning clinic can talk you through it without judgement – and if there isn’t one you can easily get to, everything below you can do yourself.

The single most useful thing to know: if the unprotected sex was recent, emergency contraception can still stop a pregnancy from starting, and the sooner you act, the more choices you have.

Emergency contraception

Emergency contraception is for after unprotected sex but before a pregnancy has started. It mainly works by delaying ovulation – holding back the egg so the sperm already inside you die off before they can meet it⁵. That also means it can’t end a pregnancy that has already implanted, and it won’t harm one either. It is not the same thing as the abortion pill.

Take it as soon as you can – effectiveness drops the longer you wait, so there’s no reason to hold off. There are three options, and it’s worth knowing all three, because the cut-off is not 72 hours for everything.

The levonorgestrel morning-after pill

This is the standard pill you ask the pharmacist for. It works best taken straight away and is licensed for use up to 72 hours (three days) after unprotected sex². It’s cheap, available without a prescription in most places, and safe.

One thing worth knowing: this pill becomes less reliable if you weigh more than around 70 kg (about 11 stone), and one of the options below may suit you better^2,4.

The ulipristal acetate pill

This is a different, more recent morning-after pill that works for longer – up to 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex, and it holds up better than the levonorgestrel pill in the later part of that window². It’s also a pharmacy pill in many countries. If you’re past 72 hours, or you’re over about 70 kg, this is often the better choice.

The copper coil (IUD)

The most effective emergency contraception by a wide margin is a copper IUD, fitted by a clinician within five days of unprotected sex – it prevents more than 99 per cent of expected pregnancies, and its effectiveness isn’t affected by your weight^1,2. As a bonus, it then keeps working as ongoing contraception for years. A hormonal (levonorgestrel) IUD has more recently been shown to work about as well for emergency use, if that’s what’s available to you³.

If you can’t get to a pharmacy

In a pinch, certain regular combined contraceptive pills can be used as emergency contraception (here’s how to use the regular oral contraceptive pill for emergency contraception). It’s not available or comfortable for everyone, so if you or a friend might ever need it, it can pay to keep emergency contraception on hand before you’re in a hurry.

Taking a pregnancy test

If it’s already too late for emergency contraception, or you just want to know, a home pregnancy test is cheap and you can buy one from a pharmacy, a supermarket or online.

Timing matters. A test looks for the pregnancy hormone hCG, which only rises once an egg has implanted, so testing too early gives a false ‘not pregnant’. A test is at its most accurate from the first day of a missed period; some sensitive tests can pick it up a few days earlier, but an early negative is worth repeating a few days later.

You usually can’t tell how you feel. Some people say they just knew, but most of us don’t – so don’t read too much into symptoms either way. Confirm one way or the other before making any decisions.

Your options if you are pregnant

If the test is positive, you have three options: continuing the pregnancy, a medical abortion, or a surgical abortion. All of them are legitimate, and which one is right is entirely yours to decide.

Medical abortion (pills at home)

A medical abortion uses medication to bring on a bleed that empties the womb, a bit like a heavy, early miscarriage. It’s generally used in early pregnancy, up to around 10 to 12 weeks.

You normally get the pills through a doctor or a telehealth abortion service. If you live somewhere abortion is illegal or hard to reach, Women on Web is a doctor-led service that can post the pills to you discreetly.

Surgical abortion (in a clinic or hospital)

A surgical abortion is a short procedure done in a clinic or hospital. It’s safe and, in many places, inexpensive or free, and is usually available a little later in pregnancy than the pills, though most services have an upper time limit without a specific medical reason.

Continuing the pregnancy

If you decide to continue the pregnancy, see a doctor or midwife when you can to get antenatal care started, and lean on a friend, counsellor or support service if you need someone in your corner. Whatever you choose, you don’t have to work it out alone.

Frequently asked questions

How long after sex can you take emergency contraception?

It depends which one. The levonorgestrel pill is licensed up to 72 hours, the ulipristal pill up to 120 hours (five days), and a copper IUD can be fitted up to five days after unprotected sex^1,2. Sooner is always more effective, so don’t wait – but being past 72 hours doesn’t mean you’ve missed your chance.

Is the morning-after pill the same as an abortion?

No. Emergency contraception works before pregnancy starts, mainly by delaying ovulation, and it can’t end or harm an established pregnancy⁵. The abortion pill is a different medication used after a pregnancy has already started.

When is a pregnancy test most accurate?

From the first day of a missed period. Testing earlier can miss a real pregnancy because hormone levels are still low, so if you test early and it’s negative but your period still doesn’t come, test again a few days later.

This article is general information and not a substitute for personalised medical advice. If you are pregnant or think you might be, an experienced practitioner or a sexual health service can help you weigh your options confidentially.