3 minute read
Emergency contraception with other medicines or birth control
Enzyme-inducing medicines and the timing of hormonal contraception can change which emergency option fits. Learn what to tell a clinician.
DIRECT ANSWER
An online consultation lets an EU-licensed doctor review your case and, if appropriate, issue an electronic prescription; each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense it.
Doctor reply in under 2 hours
Average doctor reply under 2 hours; at night and on public holidays it can take longer, always within 24 hours. A prescription only if appropriate.
EU-licensed doctors
Every case is reviewed by an EU-licensed doctor.
Electronic prescription
Each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense an approved prescription; some do not accept PDF prescriptions.
HOW IT WORKS
From consultation to collection
- 1
Consultation
Answer a secure medical questionnaire online.
- 2
Doctor reviews
An EU-licensed doctor personally assesses your case.
- 3
Prescription only if appropriate
The doctor replies in under 2 hours on average and issues a prescription only if it is clinically appropriate.
- 4
Collect at the pharmacy you choose
Take an approved prescription to the pharmacy you choose; each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense it.
Emergency contraception can interact with regular contraception and some medicines. This does not mean there is no option. It means the pharmacist or clinician needs a complete list and an exact timeline.
Medicines that speed up drug breakdown
Some treatments for epilepsy, tuberculosis and HIV, and the herbal product St John’s wort, can increase liver-enzyme activity and reduce levels of oral emergency contraception. The effect can persist after a medicine is stopped. Do not adjust a dose yourself; a professional may recommend a different strategy, including consideration of a copper IUD.
Restarting regular hormonal contraception
After levonorgestrel, regular hormonal contraception can generally be started or resumed immediately, with barrier precautions for the instructed period. After ulipristal acetate, progestogen-containing contraception is delayed because starting it too soon may reduce ulipristal’s ability to delay ovulation. The exact restart day and condom interval should be written down.
More sex after the dose
An emergency pill does not cover later unprotected sex in the same cycle. Sperm from a new episode creates a new risk. Use condoms or avoid sex until regular contraception is effective according to the instructions, and seek fresh advice if another exposure occurs.
When to seek help
Emergency contraception is time-sensitive. Seek a pharmacy, sexual-health service or clinician as soon as possible rather than waiting for symptoms. Urgent in-person care is needed for severe one-sided or lower abdominal pain, collapse, very heavy bleeding or a severe allergic reaction. Emergency contraception does not treat an established pregnancy and does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.
What to prepare for a medical review
Be ready to share when each episode of unprotected sex happened, the first day of the last period, usual cycle length, the contraception that failed, current medicines and supplements, breastfeeding, and whether a period was already late. These details help a professional compare oral options with a copper IUD and explain when regular contraception can be restarted.
A calm next step
Bring medicine boxes or a phone list to the pharmacy if names are hard to remember. Include non-prescription and herbal products. A two-minute medicines check can change the recommendation.
Clinical sources used: World Health Organization emergency-contraception fact sheet and European Medicines Agency product information for ulipristal acetate.