Over the Counter Emergency Contraception Women have more options than ever before when it comes to pregnancy prevention. Now, with the availability of over the counter emergency contraception, accidents in the bedroom can be handled right away. If the condom broke or you forgot to take your birth control pill and had sex, you can use a backup method of birth control. The morning after pill helps prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. The best way to assure that the morning after pill will work as intended is to take it as soon as possible. If you don’t already have it on hand, you should take it as soon as you can order it online or head to the pharmacy. Efficacy dissipates with each hour that passes, so the fact that it is now available over the counter makes it much easier to get it right away. Before this possibility, you needed to take the time to make an appointment, drive to your doctor’s, answer embarrassing questions and finally get to the pharmacy. All this ends up wasting precious time. The day after pill works by stopping the egg from being released from the ovaries (or ovulation). Day After Pill If you forgot to take your birth control pill, you may be looking at a gap in protection that could leave you vulnerable for becoming pregnant. Did you know that sperm can live in your body for a full 3 days after unprotected sex? This is why you must take the over the counter morning after pill within this time period in order for it to be most effective. Even when we try to use the utmost care, accidents can happen. While condoms are very effective, they can on occasion fail and tear or rip, leaving you at risk of becoming pregnant. The day after pill is the best way to take back control over your body after a contraceptive failure. OTC Morning After Pill Because morning after pills are most effective when taken right away, many women ordering OTC morning after pills ahead of time to have on hand in case an accident occurs. Now that they are pretty easy to get, this makes keeping them in stock very easy. You should avoid taking them frequently and never more than once in the same cycle. The day after pill is safe but still should not be abused. If you are having trouble using condoms effectively, for example, you should consider starting on a hormonal contraceptive that can provide you with continual coverage.