Where To Get Emergency Contraception

If you have had unprotected sex and you’re worried about being pregnant, emergency contraception is available to you. But which type should you use and where can you access it from? Here, you’ll find out where to get emergency contraception when you need it.

What types of emergency contraception are available?

There are two different types of emergency contraception available. These are:

the emergency hormonal contraceptive pill (EHC), also known as the “morning after” pill
the intrauterine device (IUD)

Both types of emergency contraception can help prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, or if your regular method of birth control has not worked. For example, this could be if you’ve forgotten to take the pill, or a condom has split.

The emergency contraceptive pill and IUD can both be effective in preventing pregnancy. To decide which type is right for you, it helps to know how they work and understand the time frames in which they should be used in order for them to be effective.

The emergency hormonal contraceptive pill

There are two main types of emergency hormonal contraceptive pill. One contains the active ingredient levonorgestrel, and the other contains the active ingredient ulipristal acetate. While both morning after pills have been designed to prevent pregnancy, they are used slightly differently.

The levonorgestrel-based pill can be taken within 3 days (72 hours) of having unprotected sex, but it’s important to note that it is most effective if taken as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the ulipristal acetate pill can be taken within 5 days (120 hours) of having unprotected sex, but it is most effective if taken as soon as possible.

The IUD

The IUD is a T-shaped device that is inserted into the womb by a nurse or doctor. It can be fitted up to 5 days after you’ve had unprotected sex. It can also be fitted up to 5 days after the first day you may have ovulated.

If you get the IUD fitted, you can decide to leave it in and use it as your regular birth control method.

Where to get the emergency hormonal contraceptive pill

You don’t necessarily need to visit your doctor in order to get the morning after pill, giving you an alternative way to get emergency contraception if you don’t feel comfortable speaking to a doctor face-to-face.

You can access this type of emergency contraception, for free, from a variety of places, including:

Contraception clinics
Brook clinics
The majority of sexual health or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics
Most NHS walk-in centres
Some pharmacies (ask if they provide free emergency contraception)
Some GP surgeries
Some hospital A&E departments

You can also purchase the emergency contraceptive pill from some pharmacies, including online.

Where to get the IUD

Like the morning after pill, you don’t need to visit your GP in order to access the IUD, however, an IUD should be fitted by a specialised healthcare professional. You can get this type of emergency contraception for free from places such as: