I was at a party and drank for the first time and had sex. I’m not sure if we used a condom, so I went and got the morning after pill. Can I relax knowing that it worked, or can i still get pregnant?
The morning-after pill can be started up to 120 hours — five days — after unprotected intercourse. The sooner it is started, the better it works. But it’s not a guarantee.
The morning-after pill is also known as emergency contraception, emergency birth control, backup birth control, and by the brand names Plan B One-Step, ella, and Next Choice. They reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent when started within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. They continue to reduce the risk of pregnancy up to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse.
If you do not have your period within three weeks after taking emergency contraception, you may want to consider taking a pregnancy test.
The morning-after pill offers no protection against sexually transmitted diseases or infections. You may want to consider STD testing if there is a possibility that unprotected sex put you at risk.
Alcohol can interfere with a healthy sex life. Learn more about sex and alcohol.