Morning after pill

The "morning-after pill", also known as emergency contraception, is a form of contraception that is used after unprotected sexual intercourse or if the usual contraceptive method fails. It is intended to prevent or delay the fertilization of an egg.

There are two types of the "morning-after pill" available in Germany:

• Levonorgestrel preparations: this pill should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sexual intercourse, but no later than 72 hours afterwards.
• Ulipristal acetate preparations: This pill has a longer duration of action and can be taken up to 120 hours (5 days) after sexual intercourse. However, it is only available on prescription.

The "morning-after pill" can be bought in pharmacies in Germany without a prescription.

The pharmacist can also advise you. For example, you can clarify whether you are already pregnant or whether there are possible interactions with other medications.

If an individual pharmacy refuses to sell the morning-after pill, it is best to go to another pharmacy. At night and at weekends, the emergency services of pharmacies are available, which you can find out about on the Internet, by telephone or via the notice in the window of a pharmacy.

Another option is the medical or (if available) gynecological outpatient clinic of the nearest hospital.

In an emergency, you can also obtain them from gynecologists in private practice, the counceling centre pro familia, in the Evangelischen Krankenhaus (ekv) and in Uniklinikum Münster.