Although you don’t have a risk of getting pregnant every time you engage in intercourse, you can conceive even after having unprotected intercourse, just one time. Condom splitting can lead to a higher risk of pregnancy as well as contracting sexually transmitted disease. Your risk of conceiving also depends upon what day you are on during your monthly period cycle- with some days being a much higher risk than the rest [like the days when you are in mid-cycle].
Nevertheless, whether you missed your birth control pills or the condom broke [in short had unprotected intercourse], you still have a chance of preventing pregnancy.
- Immediate action
Immediately go to a doctor and get prescription for Plan B emergency contraceptive pill. Since time is the essence in preventing unwanted pregnancy, it is necessary that you immediately head out to access medication. It must be noted that pregnancy prevention in the initial 24 hours is the most effective.
- Do not douche
Many have this misconception, that douching after unprotected intercourse many stop pregnancy from happening. This is not true. Douching not only has no effect on preventing unwanted pregnancy however is generally advised against by healthcare professionals.
Douching also changes the yeast/ bacterial state of the reproductive tract which results to increased risk of infections.
- Taking Plan B
You can even buy Plan B online and have it delivered overnight. It is a hormone based emergency birth control which is available in the US and Canada, but you can order it from anywhere online. It is to be taken within 72 hours, i.e. 3 days of having unprotected intercourse.
The hormones in Plan B pill are called progestin or levonorgestrel. In many countries you do not need a prescription for Plan B, and therefore can access it from a medical provider or from local drugstores. The emergency birth control is not covered by most insurance plans.
- Follow the instructions on the pack carefully. Whether you take Plan B or a regular birth control pill like Ovral, there is certain of using them for optimal efficacy in preventing pregnancy.
- Take Plan B as instructed. Plan B has two pills. One pill out of the pack is to be taken within 72 hours and the other one is taken 12 hours after taking the first pill. Since both the pills are identical, you need not be concerned over which pill to take first.
- The sooner you take Plan B after unprotected intercourse, the more effective it is in preventing pregnancy. If you take Plan B within 24 hours of intercourse, the chances of successful prevention are 95%, however this efficacy rate reduces dramatically once that time limit has passed.
- Expect side effects
Like every medication, taking Plan B too may result in some side-effects, such as – nausea, abdominal pain, headache, hot flashes, heavier or lighter menses etc. These side effects are tolerable and can easily be managed by medicines.
Make sure you start doubling up on birth control methods, if one form of contraception doesn’t work.