Picture this...

You and your boyfriend are having sex and the condom breaks.

That kind of thing never happens but somehow it did last night. You don’t want to get pregnant (that's the whole point of birth control, right?) but a pit of dread fills your stomach. What can you do? Luckily there’s an option for these type of situations! It’s called emergency contraception. Here’s what you need to know…

• Emergency contraception (EC) is contraception that you can take to prevent pregnancy. EC is effective 3-5 days after unprotected sex, though it is best to take EC as soon as you can.
• There are a few different brands of EC. Planned Parenthood of Delaware offers Plan-B One Step and Next Choice.
• In the United States, any man or woman age 17 and older can get EC without a prescription. Women under the age of 17 will need to visit a health center and get a prescription. In both cases, you can get EC at Planned Parenthood.
• Some people may think that the morning-after pill is the same as the abortion pill. It is important to know that the morning-after pill is not an abortion pill. EC will prevent a pregnancy, but it will not end a pregnancy. If you are already pregnant when you take EC, it will not stop the pregnancy.
• EC is available at all Planned Parenthood of Delaware health center locations in Wilmington, Newark and Dover.
• EC does not protect against STIs, including HIV.
  

So when unprotected sex happens, you still have options! For more information on emergency contraception, talk to your health care provider, call Planned Parenthood, or visit these sites:

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill-4363.asp

http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/index.html