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Emergency contraception
By Mayo Clinic staffEmergency contraception helps prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. Emergency contraception isn't meant to be used in place of routine birth control — but it's an option if you've had unprotected sex, your method of birth control failed or you missed a birth control pill.
To be effective, emergency contraception must be used as soon as possible after unprotected sex. You may be able to choose from several types of emergency contraception. Many women opt for Next Choice, Plan B One-Step or Ella, also known as the morning-after pill. It's also possible to use combination birth control pills or ParaGard — an intrauterine device — for emergency contraception. Depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle, emergency contraception can prevent or delay ovulation, block fertilization or keep a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
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