The short explanation
There are two kinds and they differ a great deal. Emergency contraceptive pills work by delaying ovulation and are more effective the sooner they are taken; the common one is licensed up to 72 hours and loses effect across that window. A copper IUD fitted up to five days afterwards is the most effective option by a wide margin and can then stay as ongoing contraception. Neither ends an existing pregnancy. Emergency pills are available without prescription in India; an IUD needs a clinician the same week.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Body weight, where you are in your cycle, and other medicines can all affect how well a pill works, which is part of why the IUD is offered when it is available.
- Your next period may come early or late, and a test is worth doing if it is more than a week late. Emergency contraception does not protect you for the rest of the cycle.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you which option is right for you, whether you are already pregnant, or how likely a pregnancy was from a particular episode. A pharmacist or clinician can help the same day.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Given the timing, which option is most effective for me?
- Is a copper IUD available here within five days?
- When should I test, and what if my period does not come?
- Would this be a good time to start regular contraception?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
- Seek care urgently for severe one-sided abdominal pain in the weeks afterwards, especially with a positive test — that needs ruling out an ectopic pregnancy. Seek help today if the sex was not consensual; there is medical care and support for that, and it is time-sensitive.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
No sources recorded yet.
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off. That is what the “Editorially reviewed” badge means, and why it does not say “Clinically reviewed”. It was written and checked by AskHer’s editorial team, and it is queued for a clinician who works in this area. No sources are recorded against it yet.
- Review status
- Editorially reviewed
- Last reviewed
- Last reviewed 26 September 2026
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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