If you have a birth control failure or unprotected sex, you may need emergency contraception to help prevent an unintended pregnancy.
Emergency contraception (or the morning-after pill) can reduce your chance of becoming pregnant after unprotected sex, or if your usual birth control method fails for any reason.7 Emergency contraception is not meant to be used as regular birth control and it does not protect you against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.1
Many things can happen that could leave you worried about the possibility of becoming pregnant. Common situations that can lead to using emergency contraception include7:
- Condom broke or slipped off
- Forgot to take your pill, insert your ring, or apply your patch for birth control
- Your partner did not withdraw (pull out) in time
- Diaphragm or cervical cap slipped out of its proper place
- Unplanned sex without protection
- Misjudged your "safe" days using natural family planning
- You were forced to have unprotected sex (rape)
+-References
- ella® prescribing information. Morristown, NJ: Watson Pharma, Inc. August 2010.
- Gould JE, Overstreet JW, Hanson FW. Assessment of human sperm function after recovery from the female reproductive tract. Biol Reprod. 1984;31(5):888-894.
- Brache V, Cochon L, Jesam C, et al. Immediate pre-ovulatory administration of 30 mg ulipristal acetate significantly delays follicular rupture. Hum Reprod. 2010;25(9):2256-2263.
- Plan B® One-Step prescribing information. Pomona, NY: Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. August 2009.
- Next Choice® prescribing information. Corona, CA: Watson Pharma, Inc. August 2009.
- Mifeprex® prescribing information. New York, NY: Danco Laboratories, LLC. July 2005.
- Morning-after pill (emergency contraception). Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill-4363.html. Accessed October 5, 2010.
ella is a prescription emergency contraceptive that reduces your chance of becoming pregnant if your birth control fails or you have unprotected sex.
Important Safety Information
The most common side effects of ella (ulipristal acetate) tablets include headache, stomach pain, nausea, menstrual pain, tiredness, and dizziness. You should not take ella if you know or suspect you are already pregnant, and ella should not replace your regular birth control method. Do not use ella more than one time in the same menstrual cycle. ella is not for use to end an existing pregnancy. If you become pregnant or have lower stomach pain after taking ella, you should be evaluated for an ectopic pregnancy. ella may cause your period to be earlier or later than expected. If your period is more than a week late, you should get a pregnancy test. After taking ella, you are likely to be fertile again very quickly, thus, you should continue or start using a regular birth control method as soon as possible to prevent pregnancy. ella will not protect you against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.
