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Emergency Contraception
Online Birth Control Education

After sex, you still have 3 to 5 days to prevent pregnancy.

When you have sex without using birth control or your birth control method fails, you may want to consider emergency contraception. Your risk of becoming pregnant depends on where you are in your menstrual cycle. During your most fertile days – midway between two menstrual periods – the risk of pregnancy could be as high as 9%. By using ECPs, you decrease your chance of becoming pregnant by about 89%.

ECP may help to prevent pregnancy but does not interrupt or disrupt an already established pregnancy (i.e. an implanted fertilized egg). It may inhibit or delay ovulation or prevent fertilization, inhibit tubal transport of the egg or sperm, and it may also alter the uterine lining to impair implantation.

Timing is everything! ECPs must be taken as soon as possible – no later than 120 hours after unprotected sex.

  • If you have had unprotected sex since your last normal period, and the unprotected sex was not more than 120 hours ago – ECPs make sense.
  • If you have had unprotected sex more than once and at least one of these times was more than 120 hours ago, you may already be pregnant. Seek the advice of your health care provider.

For most women, ECPs are a simple, safe option that can greatly reduce the chance of pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. Emergency contraception is available to UC Davis students by telephone consultation. You can call the Cowell Student Health Center to discuss ECP with the Advice Nurse at 530.752.9649.

Availability

  • EC is now available over the counter (without prescription) Monday through Friday, no prescription needed if you’re 18 or older and a registered UC Davis student!
    • The cost is $25 for over the counter EC at the Cowell Student Health Center Pharmacy window (bring a form of ID)
    • Both women and men over 18 can purchase over the counter EC at the Cowell Student Health Center Pharmacy on weekdays.
    • For weekend availability, call the Advice Nurse (530.752.9649) during hours of operation.
  • EC is still available by prescription to students under 18. Call the Advice Nurse (530.752.9649) during hours of operation.
  • Over the counter EC is also available at local drug stores for around $35-$45.

Recommended Resources

 

Online Birth Control Education
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last reviewed: Spring 2005