Does taking two normal birth control pills and then Plan B work if I want to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex?

By Attia @ Planned Parenthood | April 21, 2020, 6:54 p.m.

So I just had unprotected sex I took two normal everyday birth control pills and a plan b pill directly after. I’m a very worrisome person…will I be safe from a pregnancy?

Birth control pills are really good at preventing pregnancy — but only if you use them correctly. That means taking 1 pill every day. There’s no extra protection if you double-up on pills after sex, and it’s not a good idea because it can make the rest of your pill pack confusing. And if you were taking your pills correctly up until when you took 2, you wouldn’t have needed to take Plan B (aka emergency contraception).

If you took someone else’s birth control pills, taking just 2 of them won’t do anything to prevent pregnancy, though emergency contraception certainly will. The only way to know for sure is to wait until your next period, or 3 weeks after sex. At that point, take a pregnancy test.

If you really want to take worry out of the equation, use a condom with another kind of birth control, like the pill, IUD, or shot. If you always use a condom every time you have sex and take your birth control pill every day, it’s super unlikely you’ll get pregnant, and you’ll also be protected from STDs.

Tags: emergency contraception