Emergency family planning 357
Emergency family planning (emergency contraception)
It is OK to take emergency family planning pills, even if you would not
normally use pills for family planning (see page 355). Because you take them
for such a short time, they will not interact with your disability medicines.
You can use emergency pills or regular birth control pills to prevent pregnancy
within 5 days after unprotected sex. The number of pills you need depends on the
amount of estrogen or progestin each pill contains. This chart lists only a few common
brands for each type of pill. Since some brand names are used for more than one type
of pill, check the amount of hormone in the pills before you use them in an emergency.
How to take pills for emergency family planning
Pills for emergency
family planning
High-dose pills containing 50 mcg ethinyl
estradiol (Ovral, Ogestrel)
Low-dose pills containing 30 or 35 mcg
ethinyl estradiol (Lo-Femenal, Lo/Ovral,
Microgynon, Nordette)
Low-dose pills containing 20 mcg ethinyl
estradiol (Alesse, Lessina, Lutera)
Special emergency pills containing ethinyl
estradiol and levonorgestrel (Tetragynon)
Progestin-only pills (mini-pills)
containing 75 mcg levonorgestrel
(Ovrette, Neogest)
First
dose
Take 2 pills
Take 4 pills
Second dose
(12 hours later)
Take 2 more pills
Take 4 more pills
Take 5 pills
Take 5 more pills
Take 2 pills
Take 2 more pills
Take 40 pills, one time only, or
20 pills in one dose and 20 more pills 12
hours later
Progestin-only pills (mini-pills)
containing 30 mcg levonorgestrel
(Microlut, Microval, Norgeston)
Take 50 pills, one time only, or 25 pills in one
dose and 25 more pills 12 hours later
Special emergency pills containing 1500
mcg levonorgestrel (Postinor 1)
Special emergency pills containing 750 mcg
levonorgestrel (Postinor, Postinor-2,
Plan B, Pill 72, Post-Day)
Take one pill, one time only
Take 2 pills, one time only
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007