12You don’t have an emergency plan
If a condom breaks or slips off, an IUD insertion or emergency contraception (also called the “morning-after pill”) can help prevent unwanted pregnancy.
People 17 and older don’t need a prescription to buy emergency contraception products, called Plan B One-Step and Next Choice, at drugstores.
But the pills must be taken within 72 hours (up to 3 days) of unprotected sex, according to the manufacturers, and the sooner the better. (Experts, including Planned Parenthood, say emergency contraception will work if taken within 120 hours, or up to 5 days, but again—sooner is better.) It’s a good idea to have them on hand, just in case.
