State of emergency
Question
I recently had unsafe sex during my period so I took the emergency pill the same day. Twelve hours later my period stopped and now I'm really worried that I could be pregnant. Please help me.
Answer
It is never safe to have unprotected sex if you wish to avoid pregnancy, even when you are having a period. To reassure you, the emergency contraceptive pill is over 95% effective in preventing pregnancy when taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex.
It is common for the emergency contraceptive pill to disrupt your periods for a short while after taking it. According to the fpa your period may come earlier than expected or it may be up to a week late. Mostly, it comes within a few days of when you would expect it. You may experience some irregular bleeding between taking the emergency pills and getting your next period. This is only temporary and periods should return to normal, usually for your next cycle. However, if you have not had a normal period within three weeks of taking emergency contraception or are worried that you may be pregnant, it is worth taking a pregnancy test to check that it has been successful.
You can get free confidential contraceptive advice and supplies from Brook (under 25s only), a family planning clinic or a doctor (GP). If you want to discuss your situation, you can also call the Brook Freephone Helpline on 0800 0185 023.
Updated: 17/01/2008
Question answered by Youthnet in association with Brook
