| Emergency contraception (EC) will not harm a fetus. Still, you should not use EC if you are pregnant.
EC can reduce the risk of pregnancy if started within 120 hours (five days) of unprotected intercourse. The sooner it is started, the better.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved over-the-counter (OTC) sale of Plan B — a brand of EC — to women 18 and older. Plan B and other forms of EC will continue to be available by prescription for women of all ages.
EC is currently available at Planned Parenthood health centers, pharmacies, as well as college, public, and women's health centers; from private doctors; and in hospital emergency rooms — unless they are affiliated with religions that oppose the use of birth control.
Some clinics and clinicians will prescribe EC over the phone and call the prescription in to a pharmacy for women younger than 18. EC by prescription is also available directly from some pharmacists in a small but increasing number of states. If you would like to get EC through the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you, call 1-800-230-PLAN.
| 
