Can I buy emergency contraception if I’m 16?
Yes! Anyone — no matter how old you are — can buy Plan B and other brands of levonorgestrel morning-after pills (aka emergency contraception). There are many brands of this type of morning-after pill: Plan B One Step, Take Action, My Way, Option 2, Preventeza, AfterPill, My Choice, Aftera, EContra, and others. The brand you buy or how much you pay for it doesn’t matter — they all work the same way.
You can usually find these morning-after pills on the shelf in the “family planning” or “feminine hygiene” section at drugstores, pharmacies, and superstores. You don’t need a prescription to buy them, and you don’t need to show ID. Read more about Plan B morning after pills.
You can also get morning-after pills at your local Planned Parenthood health center or family planning clinic. At many Planned Parenthood health centers, you can just walk in and get it (but it’s a good idea to call first to make sure).
There’s also another type of morning-after pill called ella. It’s the most effective type of morning-after pill, and it works better than other morning-after pills if you weigh more than 165 pounds. But you need a prescription to get ella. You can get a prescription for ella from your doctor or your local Planned Parenthood health center. In some states you can even get a prescription directly from a pharmacist. You may also be able to get a prescription online and have ella shipped to you. Read more about how to get ella.
Since emergency contraception works better the sooner you take it, it’s a good idea to get emergency contraception before you need it just in case. That way you’ll have it on hand if an accident happens, and you won’t have to worry about running out to a drugstore or health center.