Should I use this page, or skip it?
Use this page if you had unprotected sex, a missed pill, or a condom failure and need to choose a door today. Skip it and go now if you are still inside the time window — a pharmacist or sexual health clinic beats a long read. This page cannot fit a coil or hand you a tablet.
Call 999 for collapse, heavy bleeding with dizziness, or severe one-sided pelvic pain. Pregnancy prevention and HIV PEP are different 72-hour clocks.
What emergency options exist in the UK?
NHS advice is that the copper IUD is the most effective emergency method and can be fitted up to 5 days after sex. Levonorgestrel emergency pills can be used up to 72 hours. Ulipristal (ellaOne) can be used up to 120 hours. Take or fit the method as soon as possible.
It is not an abortion. It does not protect against STIs. This page does not quote success percentages. If an IUD cannot be arranged in time, an emergency pill you can take today is still worth taking. Do not delay because you are unsure which brand is “best” — sooner matters more than a perfect comparison chart.
Where do I get it today?
Many pharmacies supply emergency pills, often free depending on local funding and age rules, and GP surgeries and sexual health clinics can offer pills or a copper IUD. Find a GPhC-registered pharmacy on Pick My Pharmacy. Ask today rather than waiting for your usual GP.
Pharmacy access varies across the UK. Ask rather than assuming a charge or an age cut-off. Call 111 in England, Scotland and Wales to signpost. Northern Ireland uses GP out-of-hours via nidirect. Do not wait for your own GP if another service is open.
How do I choose between a pill and a coil?
Choose a copper IUD if you can get a fitting within 5 days and you want the most effective option, with ongoing contraception afterwards if you keep it. Choose a pill if a fitting cannot happen in time, or you do not want a device. Ulipristal covers a longer window than levonorgestrel.
Tell the clinician your weight, other medicines, and whether you have already taken an emergency pill this cycle. Ulipristal and hormonal contraception can interact. A coil fitting is a short clinic procedure with cramping for some people. If you keep the copper IUD, it can then work as ongoing contraception, which is one reason clinics often recommend it when a fitting is available in time.
What about STIs, HIV and the next period?
Emergency contraception does not treat chlamydia or other STIs. Book tests via a sexual health clinic if the situation warrants it. HIV PEP is a separate 72-hour emergency from A&E or a clinic — ask if the exposure was high risk.
Your next period may come early or late. If it is more than a week late, do a pregnancy test. Severe one-sided pain with a positive test is urgent. Start or restart regular contraception as advised, with condoms until you are covered.
When is it 111 or 999?
Use 111 if you cannot find a pharmacy or clinic and the clock is still running — that is signposting, not a reason to wait overnight. Call 111 in England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has no general 111 service and uses GP out-of-hours via nidirect.
Call 999 for collapse, heavy bleeding with faintness, or severe pelvic pain. Those symptoms are not “the pill did not sit well”. They need emergency assessment for bleeding or possible ectopic pregnancy.
Do NHS doors differ across the UK?
Call 111 in England, Scotland and Wales if you need urgent advice and are not in immediate danger; Northern Ireland uses GP out-of-hours via nidirect rather than a general 111 service. Pharmacy schemes and what is free also vary by nation and local area, so ask rather than assuming last year’s rule still applies.
999 is the same emergency number everywhere. A sexual health clinic, GP or pharmacist in any UK nation can still start the right pathway even if the branding of the minor-illness scheme is different. Take a list of medicines and allergies with you.
Who should skip this page?
Skip this page if you still have hours on the clock — go and get the method. It is not an abortion service, not an STI screen, and not PEP. If you keep needing emergency contraception, that is a choosing contraception conversation, not a personality flaw.
Common questions about emergency contraception
- Which emergency option is most effective?
- NHS advice is that the copper IUD is the most effective emergency method and can be fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex. Levonorgestrel pills can be used up to 72 hours, and ulipristal (ellaOne) up to 120 hours. Take or fit whichever you can get soonest if an IUD cannot be arranged in time.
- Where can I get it today?
- Many pharmacies, GP surgeries and sexual health clinics provide emergency contraception, often free. Pharmacy funding and age rules vary by UK nation and local area — ask. Find a GPhC-registered pharmacy on Pick My Pharmacy. Call 111 in England, Scotland and Wales to signpost; Northern Ireland uses GP out-of-hours via nidirect.
- Does emergency contraception cause an abortion?
- No. Emergency pills work mainly by delaying or preventing ovulation. They do not end a pregnancy that is already implanted. The copper IUD prevents fertilisation and may prevent implantation. If your next period is more than a week late, do a pregnancy test. A positive test after emergency contraception is not caused by the pill harming a pregnancy.
- Will it affect my regular pill or implant?
- Ulipristal can interact with hormonal contraception, so you may need extra precautions such as condoms until you are advised it is safe to rely on your usual method again. After levonorgestrel, restart advice is different. Tell the pharmacist or clinic what you already take. Do not mix two packets of instructions.
- Does it protect against STIs or HIV?
- No. Emergency contraception only addresses pregnancy risk. If the partner or situation also raises STI concern, use a sexual health clinic for tests. HIV PEP is a separate 72-hour emergency from A&E or a sexual health clinic. Do not assume a morning-after pill covers either infection.
- What if I am sick after the pill?
- If you vomit soon after an emergency pill, it may not have been absorbed. Contact a pharmacist, clinic or 111 the same day — you may need another dose or a different method. The copper IUD is not affected by vomiting. Take the pill with water, and ask about anti-sickness medicine if you are prone to nausea.
- Can I use emergency contraception more than once?
- It is safe to use more than once, but it is not a good regular method. If you keep needing it, a clinic can talk through a reliable ongoing method such as a coil or implant. Repeated emergency pills are a signal to change the plan, not a personal failure. Under-16s can still get confidential advice.