Emergency Contraception
Morning After Pill: Plan B One Step®, Next Choice One Dose®, and Ella®

All the above must be taken within 72 hours of having sexual intercourse, with the exception of Ella®. It can be taken within 5 days of having intercourse. How it works will depend on where you are in your menstrual cycle. Emergency Contraception pills contain either levonorgestrel (Plan B One-Step®, Next Choice One Dose®) or ulipristal (Ella®). They work by preventing ovulation, fertilization, or implantation. (This is a form of early abortion.) The hormones may prevent fertilization by stopping the ovary from releasing an egg (ovum). They can also make the fallopian tubes less likely to move an egg toward the uterus. Or they might thin the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, where a fertilized egg would normally implant and grow.

Plan B One-Step®, Next Choice One Dose® and Ella® are the only morning-after pills that have Food and Drug Administration approval in the United States. However, other brands of morning-after pills are available around the world. Plan B One-Step® is available over-the-counter without prescription. Next Choice One Dose® is available over-the-counter for women age 17 and older. Ella® is available only with a prescription from your doctor or health care provider.

But, you should know that Emergency Contraception is not regular contraception. So don't take it as your form of birth control. And, it does not protect you against sexually transmitted diseases. It is important to make sure that you are not pregnant from a previous sexual encounter before using this method. There are no long-term studies on their safety in women under 18.