Here’s the Truth about Emergency Contraception

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022 and Missouri’s trigger law against abortion went into effect, people were concerned they could no longer safely use birth control and emergency contraception.

In short, birth control and emergency contraception remain legal (and available) in Missouri.

Here’s what’s true about emergency contraception. For answers to your specific questions, make an appointment to talk to a provider at your nearest The Right Time health center.

EC pills do not cause abortions.

Some people confuse EC pills with medication abortion pills, but they are not the same thing. Levonorgestrel, the progestin hormone in most EC pills, has no effect on an established pregnancy. Instead, EC pills prevent pregnancy before it happens by delaying ovulation, so the egg and sperm never meet up. 

Taking EC too many times will not make it hard to get pregnant in the future. 

There is no scientific evidence that taking EC once or a thousand times will affect future fertility. However, taking EC a thousand times could end up costing a fair amount of money. If you find you’re taking EC regularly, consider talking to a health care provider about which non-emergency birth control could be right for you.

Taking EC today does not mean you are protected from pregnancy if you have sex again several days later.

EC pills work by blocking ovulation, but only for a few days. If you have unprotected sex again within a few days of taking the pills, there will still be sperm waiting in the fallopian tubes (where they can live for up to five days!) when the egg is eventually released, which increases your risk of pregnancy.