Will a late 2nd dose of emergency contraception still work?

[azel17]

Hi, just want to ask if it will still work if I was late for 3 hours in taking my 2nd dose of emergency contraception (nordette)? Or should I take another set of pills?
Thank you and more power!

[Sam W]

Hi Azel,

Go ahead and take the other pill, rather than stating a new set.

[Onionpie]

Hi azel17. Taking the 2nd pill a few hours late may reduce the effectiveness, but not by very much (if at all -- researchers are still arguing about it a bit), and it certainly won't render it completely useless. It's pretty similar to the birth control pill in that a few hours late isn't a big deal -- "late" is only significant if it's over 12 hours late. The information slip that came with the pills will probably say something about that if it is an issue, and if not, you can always call the pharmacist that provided them, as they will be able to tell you for sure. I also don't recommend taking a second set of pills either way, because that will just really mess with your hormones and probably make you feel REALLY sick, and won't provide any more protection than you already got with your first round of EC.