| Five days! Of course, the sooner you start, the better. According to the most recent studies, starting emergency contraception pills (ECPs) within 120 hours of unprotected intercourse can significantly reduce the risk of pregnancy. Earlier studies showed that starting ECPs within 72 hours reduces the risk by 75-89 percent. We don't have exact numbers yet for 120 hours, but studies show that ECPs will still help within that time.
ECPs can be a great consolation to women who forgot their pills, who had a condom slip off in the vagina, who were with a guy who didn't pull out in time, and, perhaps especially, women who were forced to have sex.
Women should feel free to use ECPs whenever they think it's necessary. ECPs are not recommended for ongoing use because they are not as effective as the IUD or hormonal methods like the pill, the patch, the ring, or the shot. But there is no harm using them when you need to. | 
