Emergency Contraception (morning after pill)
- What does it do?
Emergency Contraception can prevent you from becoming pregnant if you've had unprotected sex or something goes wrong with your usual form of contraception (such as a split condom or missed pill).
It's available for FREE and can be taken up to 5 days (120 hours) after this happens, but is much more likely to be effective the sooner it's taken (ideally within the first 24 hours) - so you need to act quickly!
- Who can use it?
If you can get pregnant, you can get Emergency Contraception - even if you are under 16.
- Where can you get free Emergency Contraception?
You can get it free from:
- GUM Clinic (Sexual Health Clinics)
Call, text or WhatsApp us on 07795452161 or call 01744 646473. You can also email taz@sthk.nhs.uk
- St. Helens Urgent Treatment Centre (Walk - In Centre)
Opning hours:
7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday
9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday and Bank Holidays
- Pharmacies
Not all pharmacies provide Emergency Contraception for free, you will need to call in advance to see if they provide it for free. You can find local pharmacies here.
- When to test for an STI?
You should have a test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea at least 2 weeks after unprotected sex, test for HIV after 45 days and Syphilis after 3 months (these are known as window periods) if you test sooner it may not be accurate and give an incorrect result. Visit our page to find out more about STIs.