Information Sheet Emergency contraception is a treatment to prevent pregnancy in adolescent girls and adult women who have had unprotected sex in the past 72 hours. Emergency contraception uses a high dose of birth control pills.
Emergency contraception gives a strong, short burst of hormones.
This breaks the hormonal cycle your body would need to get pregnant. The first type uses two hormones, estrogen and progestin, which are contained in birth control pills. The treatment consists of 2 doses. Do not take extra pills. This will not decrease the risk of pregnancy.