Plan B Doesn’t Work During Ovulation — Here Are Your Options

Is there anything else you can do during ovulation to prevent pregnancy?

If you have sex without enough contraception during ovulation, the copper intrauterine device (IUD) may help prevent pregnancy.

Once in, the copper makes it difficult for sperm to reach an egg, reducing the chance of pregnancy by more than 99%. A doctor needs to insert it within 5 days after sex or ovulation for it to work.

Plus, you can keep it in for use as a regular contraceptive for up to 10 years.

What if you’ve taken Plan B or another morning-after pill anyway?

Taking a morning-after pill during ovulation doesn’t usually harm your body. But you may still become pregnant.

That’s because pills like Plan B can delay ovulation to prevent pregnancy. But if you’re ovulating, your body has released an egg. And sperm — which can live in your body for several days — is more likely to reach it.

Contact a doctor or another healthcare professional for help if necessary.

How do you know when you’re ovulating?

Although ovulation tends to happen between 10 and 16 days before your period, the exact day can change from month to month. Plus, diet and stress can affect it.

There are some physical symptoms to look out for. For example, more or clearer vaginal discharge can mean that you’re ovulating. You may also experience chest tenderness and bloating.

Hormone levels also rise at this time — you can measure this with a kit that you urinate on. Some people use fertility or menstrual tracking apps to help them predict ovulation.

When can you take an at-home pregnancy test?

It all depends on when your period is due. If you consistently track your menstrual cycle and know exactly when your period should arrive, only take a test if it’s at least a week late.

That’s because pregnancy tests work by detecting levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that doesn’t show up straight away.

If you’ve taken Plan B or another emergency contraceptive pill, wait 3 weeks to see whether your period arrives before taking a pregnancy test.

If you haven’t taken a morning-after pill, take a test 2 weeks after sex. You can always take another test a couple of weeks after the first one to double-check the result.

What are your options for terminating a pregnancy?

Generally, these fall into medical and surgical options. But they differ, depending on where you live and how long you’ve been pregnant.

A medical abortion involves taking two medications: mifepristone and misoprostol. Sometimes, you can take the first medication in the clinic and the second at home.

You can usually take the abortion pill until 11 weeks after the first day of your last period. However, the success rate goes down slightly after 7 weeks.

Some doctors often perform surgical abortions later in pregnancy — beyond 16 weeks after your last period in some cases.

There are two types of surgical abortion: a suction abortion, or vacuum aspiration, empties your uterus via suction, while a dilation and evacuation uses suction and instruments.

If you’re in the United States and aren’t sure how or where to access an abortion near you, our state-by-state guide can help.

The bottom line

It can be difficult to know when you’re ovulating. Therefore, it can be hard to know whether Plan B or another emergency contraceptive pill may work.

To avoid the need for emergency contraception in the first place, you can talk with a doctor about long-term birth control methods, like the pill or implant.

And if you’ve taken Plan B but aren’t sure whether it’s worked, take a pregnancy test 3 weeks later to be on the safe side.

Lauren Sharkey is a U.K.-based journalist and author specializing in women’s issues. When she isn’t trying to discover a way to banish migraines, she can be found uncovering the answers to your lurking health questions. She has also written a book profiling young female activists across the globe and is currently building a community of such resisters. Catch her on Twitter.