Emergency Contraception: Timing, Options, and What to Do Next

By Dr. Prithivi Perum, Obstetrician, Gynecologist, Fertility Expert & Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeon at Mathrutva Women Healthcare, Manikonda, and Medicover Women & Child Hospitals, Hyderabad.

Quick answer: Emergency contraception reduces the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex or a contraceptive accident. It works only before a pregnancy is established. The levonorgestrel pill used in India should be taken as soon as possible, within 72 hours. A copper IUD, fitted within 5 days, is more reliable when it is suitable and available. Neither method protects the rest of the cycle.

Dr. Prithivi Perum discusses this during contraceptive services at Mathrutva Women Healthcare, Manikonda, and then helps you choose a regular method so you are not relying on emergency pills.

What It Does and Does Not Do

These methods delay ovulation or, in the case of a copper IUD, interfere with fertilisation. They do not end an established pregnancy. They do not treat a sexually transmitted infection. If the condom broke with a new partner, ask about infection testing as well as contraception. A missed pill, a late injection, or ejaculation during withdrawal are all reasons people ask about emergency contraception. The history of the last period matters, because the method does not help if you are already pregnant from earlier in the cycle.

Why the Clock Matters

Take it as soon as you can get it. For levonorgestrel 1.5 mg, the window used on the packet in India is 72 hours from unprotected sex. Effect falls as the hours pass, so the next morning is better than the third day, and the same evening is better than the next morning. Do not wait to see if a period starts.

Pill and Copper IUD

• Levonorgestrel 1.5 mg - a single dose by mouth, as soon as possible within 72 hours. This is the pill most pharmacies in Hyderabad will recognise.
• Copper IUD - can be fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex when you are a suitable candidate and a trained clinician is available. It can then stay in place as ongoing contraception.

Weight, the day of the cycle, and other medicines, including some epilepsy medicines, can change how useful the pill is. Mention those at the visit. A regular method - pills, an IUD, an implant, or another option from the contraceptive choices guide - should be started or restarted so the next accident is less likely. Emergency pills are not a monthly plan. Repeat use is not dangerous in the way an overdose myth suggests, but it is less reliable than a regular method and it makes bleeding unpredictable.

What to Do After You Take It

• If you vomit within about two to three hours, call about a repeat dose
• Use a condom for any further sex until a regular method is in place
• Expect the next period to be a little early or late
• Take a pregnancy test if the period is more than seven days late, or if bleeding is unusual
• Seek care the same day for severe one-sided pain, fainting, or heavy bleeding

“The emergency pill is a bridge, not a method. We use it when the timing is still right, then we choose something you can live with every month.”

- Dr. Prithivi Perum

Mathrutva Women Healthcare is at Rukmini Complex, Lalamma Gardens, Puppala Guda, Manikonda. Evening hours are Monday to Saturday, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Call +91 9949666905. A woman health checkup can include contraception advice if you are due for screening as well.

Summary

Emergency contraception is time-sensitive and it is not an abortion. Take levonorgestrel as soon as you can within 72 hours, ask about a copper IUD if you are still inside five days, and arrange a regular method plus a pregnancy test if the period is late.

Key Takeaways

• Sooner is more useful than waiting until the end of the 72-hour window.
• The emergency pill does not end an established pregnancy.
• A copper IUD can be considered up to 5 days after unprotected sex.
• It does not protect later sex in the same cycle. Start a regular method.