Using birth control and condoms every time people choose to have vaginal-penile sex is the best way to prevent an unplanned pregnancy and reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. If a couple has vaginal-penile sex and did not use birth control or the method of birth control failed, pregnancy could occur. What can a couple do if that happens？Get emergency contraception (EC).

 

EC—also called the morning-after pill—is a pill that can be bought in a drugstore or pharmacy or picked up from a family planning clinic. EC can help prevent pregnancy when it is taken up to five days after unprotected sex or birth control failure. (EC only prevents pregnancy; it does not end or harm a pregnancy that has already started.) The sooner EC is taken, the better it works to prevent pregnancy.

 

EC does not prevent STDs, but it can greatly reduce the chance of a pregnancy starting if used soon after unprotected sex. If a person has had unprotected sex, they should visit a health center or their health care provider to be tested for STDs. If a person goes to a family planning clinic to get tested for STDs or for EC, it is important to make sure the clinic has actual nurses and doctors working there because some places that offer free pregnancy testing do not provide accurate information.