I had sex for the first time 2 days ago. The condom failed. however I am on birth control (yaz). I would like to take a pregnancy test to make sure that I’m not pregnant. the instructions say you can take it the first day after your missed period but since I’m on birth control I am only having 1 every 3 months and I wouldn’t really know if I was missing a period or not. When should I take it? Can I find out early enough that I could take the morning after pill?

The morning after pill (Plan B) is a high dose levonorgestrel (synthetic estrogen) and would probably be your best bet to prevent any unwanted pregnancy. The morning after pill is one of the most effective methods of emergency contraception and has a maximum effect within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse and moderate efficacy within 120 hours of unprotected intercourse. It is available over the counter in most states without a prescription (able to be filled by either males or females) but individuals under 17 may require a prescription.

After 120 hours, an implantable IUD device becomes the most effective form of emergency contraception. These are usually offered by gynecologists.

Sperm has a maximum life of 7-10 days within the female body so there is little risk of impregnation if you ovulate once every three months. However, if you want peace of mind, you can take a pregnancy test about 35 days (28 day cycle + 7 days) after the date of unprotected intercourse.

If you have any further questions or concerns, you should see your primary care physician or gynecologist as they can offer more accurate pregnancy tests and additional forms of emergency contraception.