Ask us anything. No judgments.

Should I take emergency contraception?

Someone asked us:

I had sex on the 28th and used protection but after, he pulled out and the condom was still inside me. I went to PP the next day for plan b, but they told me that I am already protected because of the birth control I’m on, Lo loestrin. Because they said it would just mess up my bleeding cycle and not benefit me, I didnt take it. However, I have spotted light brown a few times, my breasts are sore, occasional sharp lower stomach pain (left), gas, tired all the time and peeing more often. 

Condom scares can be really stressful. One way to keep that from happening in the future is to always make sure you hold onto the base of the condom when pulling out. 

If you’re on the pill and you’ve been taking it correctly and consistently, you’re protected from pregnancy and don’t need to take emergency contraception. Taking EC when you’re on the pill isn’t harmful, but it’s not necessary. If something like this happened after you forgot a pill or two, emergency contraception would be a good idea. Learn more about how EC works. 

By the way, it’s great that you’re using condoms with your birth control pills. That way you’re protected against pregnancy and STDs. But given the issue you just had with the condom, you might want to think about getting tested for STDs.

- Alex at Planned Parenthood

Tagged: questionsEmergency contraceptionbirth controlthe pill

What does “birth control failure” mean?

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Someone asked us:

What does it mean when people say “birth control failure” ? How do u know when if fails?

“Birth control failure” can refer to a number of things, but in general it means that the birth control method two people were using didn’t work the way they planned. This might be because the method itself failed — for instance, the condom broke. But more often it’s because the method was somehow used incorrectly. Some common examples of birth control failure include:

• Forgetting to take the birth control pill every day

• Putting a condom on incorrectly

• Forgetting to replace the birth control patch or ring.

• Not pulling out before ejaculation (when using the withdrawal method)

• Waiting to put a condom on until mid-sex

The only 100 percent effective way to not get pregnant is to not have vaginal sex.. But some methods of birth control are nearly impossible to mess up – like the IUD and the implant – because they’re placed in your body by a health care provider and stay there for years.  Others, like the pill, patch or ring, are more prone to failure because there’s the potential for human error involved.

Using a condom along with another form of birth control is an excellent way to prevent pregnancy, and it has the added bonus of reducing the risk of giving or getting an STD. Visit our website to read up on birth control method(s) and how to use them correctly.

If you think your birth control method failed, you may want to take emergency contraception (the morning-after pill). Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy if taken within five days after unprotected sex.

- Alex at Planned Parenthood

Tagged: questionsbirth controlbirth control failurecondomthe pillemergency contraception

Is it easy to tell when a condom breaks?

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Someone asked us:

please i want to know does condom breaks in a drastic way or there can be microscopic holes or tears in the condom that cannot be felt or seen with bare eyes??

It’s scary to think that you may not know if a condom breaks. The good news is that it’s usually pretty easy to tell when a condom has broken by looking at it. Usually a broken condom (whether it’s a regular latex condom or one made of polyurethane or polyisoprene) will have an obvious tear that guys can feel and sometimes both partners can even hear when it happens. But sometimes a guy won’t notice it’s broken until after he pulls out. So it’s important to take a second to make sure you don’t see any holes or leaking semen before the condom comes off.

Condoms are very effective at preventing pregnancy and STDs when used correctly. If a condom breaks and you’re concerned about pregnancy, you may want to consider emergency contraception and getting tested for STDs. Contact your nearest Planned Parenthood health center for more information on emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill) and STD testing. 

- Emily at Planned Parenthood

Tagged: condomspregnancySTD testingemergency contraceptionmorning-after pillquestions

Is it safe for me to use emergency contraception while I’m on my period?

Someone asked us:

Hey, is emergency contraception safe to use when you’re on your period? Thanks!

Hey, is emergency contraception safe to use when you’re on your period? Thanks!

It’s perfectly safe to use emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill) while you’re having your period, or at any point during your menstrual cycle.

Emergency contraception works to delay the onset of ovulation. If you’re having your period that means that you’re not ovulating at the moment, but will sometime within the next couple of weeks. If you don’t have a regular cycle it can be hard to figure out when exactly that will happen. And since sperm can live in the body up to six days after sex, it’s a good idea to use emergency contraception like Plan B One Step, Next Choice, or ella anytime you have unprotected sex, a broken condom, or any other birth control failure, to delay ovulation while sperm is still alive in your body.

-Emily at Planned Parenthood 

Tagged: questionsbirth controlemergency contraceptionthe morning-after pillperiodmenstruation

Is it safe for me to use emergency contraception while I’m on my period?

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Someone asked us:

Hey, is emergency contraception safe to use when you’re on your period? Thanks!

It’s perfectly safe to use emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill) while you’re having your period, or at any point during your menstrual cycle. 

Emergency contraception works to delay the onset of ovulation. If you’re having your period that means that you’re not ovulating at the moment, but will sometime within the next couple of weeks. If you don’t have a regular cycle it can be hard to figure out when exactly that will happen. And since sperm can live in the body up to six days after sex, it’s a good idea to use emergency contraception like Plan B One Step, Next Choice, or ella anytime you have unprotected sex, a broken condom, or any other birth control failure, to delay ovulation while sperm is still alive in your body. 

-Emily at Planned Parenthood
Tagged: questionsbirth controlemergency contraceptionthe morning-after pillperiodmenstruation

I had unprotected sex. What now?

Someone asked us:

My boyfriend by accident came inside me last night, is there anything i can do to not get pregnant? If so what?

Yes, there absolutely is something you can do! You can take emergency contraception — also known as the morning-after pill, which can reduce the risk of pregnancy after sperm gets in contact with the vagina.

Emergency contraception is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. It can be taken up to five days (120 hours) after sex. The sooner you take it, the better it will work. So if your boyfriend accidentally ejaculates inside of you after planning to use the withdrawal method, getting emergency contraception as soon as possible is your best next step.

You can get some brands of emergency contraception, like Plan B One-Step and Next Choice, from drugstores without a prescription if you’re 17 or older. Women under 17 need a prescription from a health care provider, like a Planned Parenthood health center or a private health care provider. Another brand, ella, requires women of all ages get a prescription from a health care provider.

While withdrawal can reduce your risk of pregnancy, it can be difficult for guys to do it perfectly every time. So the best way to protect yourself from pregnancy is by using a highly effective, regular method of birth control like the IUD or the pill. Answer a few questions and find out which birth control might be right for you with our My Method tool. 

And here’s the deal on having sex without a condom: it’s really important that you and your boyfriend get tested for STDs if you haven’t already. Unprotected vaginal sex is high risk for a number of infections, so if you don’t already know your status or your boyfriend’s status, get yourselves tested.

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Tagged: Emergency contraceptionplan bmorning after pill

Does taking the morning-after pill a lot decrease its effectiveness?


Someone asked us:

Is it true that if you use the morning after pill a lot, it loses its effectiveness and eventually doesn’t work anymore?

No, this isn’t true. The morning-after pill won’t become less effective or stop working if you take it multiple times. Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy after unprotected sex, but it isn’t recommended as a regular form of birth control because it’s not as effective at preventing pregnancy as methods like the IUD, patch, pill, ring, or shot. It’s also not a very cost-effective form of birth control for regular use, and for some people it can come with some unpleasant side effects.

The only thing that can change the effectiveness of the morning after pill is how soon you take it after unprotected sex. It can be started up to 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex. For most brands, the sooner you take it, the better it works. Typically, they reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. The only exception to this is the prescription brand Ella, which has the same effectiveness over the five days.

There are no long-term effects of emergency contraception, or any serious side effects. The only side effect of frequently using the morning after pill is an irregular menstrual cycle. Read more about emergency contraception.

- Nina at Planned Parenthood

Tagged: questionsmorning-after pillemergency contraception

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