The morning after pill

[Jelly-bean-]

I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend on the 11th day of my period, and he pulled out. If I took plan b about 30 hours after intercourse will it still be effective in preventing pregnancy? Should I worry about it? What can I do if I experience any side effects? Did I overreact or did I do the right thing by taking the pill?

[Heather]

Emergency Contraception can be effective up to 120 hours -- five days -- after a risk. It is most effective when used within 24 hours, but still highly effective after.

Side effects of this medication are the same as any other: if you experience them, so long as they aren't any listed in the patient information that comes with it (and if so, you go and get emergency care), you just deal with them until they subside. Side effects of EC are usually very mild, and not anything intense or difficult to deal with.

Moving forward, it sounds like you don't feel comfortable with withdrawal alone as a method, and that's pretty reasonable: after all, it is one of the two least effective methods in typical use. So, how about having a chat with your boyfriend now about at least adding condoms to the equation, which are vital all by themselves for STI prevention, anyway? You can also look into a second method to pair with condoms if you like, like an IUD, hormonal method or other reliable method.