If you have an accident, are raped or just had sex without pregnancy protection, you can easily use the oral contraceptive pill the same way you would use the morning-after emergency contraceptive pills from the doctor or pharmacy.
You may not have any pills to spare, but a friend might.
Princeton University (at the bottom of this chart) says: ‘All of the brands listed here may be effective when used within 120 hours after unprotected sex, but should be taken as soon as possible.’ Source: Princeton University
Table 1. Oral contraceptives that can be used for emergency contraception in the United States and many other countries – check the doses and match them up.
Brand | Company | First Doseb | Second Doseb (12 hours later) | Ulipristal Acetate per Dose (mg) | Ethinyl Estradiol per Dose (µg) | Levonorgestrel per Dose (mg)c |
Ulipristal acetate (Dedicated EC pills) | ||||||
ella | Afaxys | 1 white pill | Noneb | 30 | – | – |
Progestin-only (Dedicated EC pills) | ||||||
Plan B One-Step | Teva | 1 white pill | None | – | – | 1.5 |
Take Action | Teva | 1 white pill | None | – | – | 1.5 |
Next Choice One Dose | Actavis | 1 peach pill | None | – | – | 1.5 |
AfterPill | Syzygy | 1 white pill | None | – | – | 1.5 |
My Way | Gavis | 1 white pill | None | – | – | 1.5 |
Levonorgestrel Tablets | Perrigo | 2 white pills | Noneb | – | – | 1.5 |
Combined progestin and estrogen pills (Regular oral contraceptive pills) | ||||||
Altavera | Sandoz | 4 peach pills | 4 peach pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Amethia | Watson | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Amethia Lo | Watson | 5 white pills | 5 white pills | – | 100 | 0.50 |
Amethyst | Watson | 6 white pills | 6 white pills | – | 120 | 0.54 |
Aviane | Teva | 5 orange pills | 5 orange pills | – | 100 | 0.50 |
Camrese | Teva | 4 light blue-green pills | 4 light blue-green pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
CamreseLo | Teva | 5 orange pills | 5 orange pills | – | 100 | 0.50 |
Cryselle | Teva | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Enpresse | Teva | 4 orange pills | 4 orange pills | – | 120 | 0.50 |
Introvale | Sandoz | 4 peach pills | 4 peach pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Jolessa | Teva | 4 pink pills | 4 pink pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Lessina | Teva | 5 pink pills | 5 pink pills | – | 100 | 0.50 |
Levora | Watson | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Lo/Ovral | Akrimax | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
LoSeasonique | Teva | 5 orange pills | 5 orange pills | – | 100 | 0.50 |
Low-Ogestrel | Watson | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Lutera | Watson | 5 white pills | 5 white pills | – | 100 | 0.50 |
Lybrel | Wyeth | 6 yellow pills | 6 yellow pills | – | 120 | 0.54 |
Nordette | Teva | 4 light-orange pills | 4 light-orange pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Ogestrel | Watson | 2 white pills | 2 white pills | – | 100 | 0.50 |
Portia | Teva | 4 pink pills | 4 pink pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Quasense | Watson | 4 white pills | 4 white pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Seasonale | Teva | 4 pink pills | 4 pink pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Seasonique | Teva | 4 light-blue-green pills | 4 light-blue-green pills | – | 120 | 0.60 |
Sronyx | Watson | 5 white pills | 5 while pills | – | 100 | 0.50 |
Trivora | Watson | 4 pink pills | 4 pink pills | – | 120 | 0.50 |
Notes:aella, Plan B One-Step, Next Choice One Dose, My Way and Take Action are dedicated products specifically marketed for emergency contraception.
The regular oral contraceptives listed above have been declared safe and effective for use as ECPs by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Outside the United States, about 100 emergency contraceptive products are specifically packaged, labelled, and marketed.
Levonorgestrel-only ECPs are available either over-the-counter or from a pharmacist without having to see a clinician in 60 countries.
In the U.S., progestin-only EC, like Plan B One-Step, is available on the shelf with no restrictions. ella is available by prescription only.
b The label for Levonorgestrel Tablets says to take one pill within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse, and another pill 12 hours later. However, research has found that both pills can be taken at the same time.
All of the brands listed here may be effective when used within 120 hours after unprotected sex, but should be taken as soon as possible. c
The progestin in Cryselle, Lo/Ovral, Low-Ogestrel and Ogestrel is norgestrel, which contains two isomers, only one of which (levonorgestrel) is bioactive; the amount of norgestrel in each tablet is twice the amount of levonorgestrel.
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