Emergency contraception advice, when time matters
Calm, judgment-free guidance after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure, including which oral option fits your situation and when an IUD may be preferable.
- Written consultation, no video call
- Reviewed for safety and interactions
- Full refund if not approved
What it is
Emergency contraception can help prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or when your usual contraception has failed.
It works best the sooner it is taken. A doctor reviews your answers and, if suitable, issues a prescription you can collect at a pharmacy.
How it works
Answer online
A short questionnaire about your symptoms.
Doctor review
A licensed EU doctor reads your answers and replies in under 2 hours on average.
E-prescription
If treatment is suitable, your prescription is issued electronically and dispensed at any EU pharmacy.
Treatment options
The doctor chooses based on your answers and health. Some options are practical advice, some are prescription medicines.
Emergency contraceptive pill
A single tablet taken as soon as possible, if suitable for you.
Timing advice
Which option fits the time since unprotected sex.
Follow-up guidance
What to expect afterwards and when to take a pregnancy test.
One consultation, one clear price
You pay for the doctor's consultation. If a prescription is issued, the medicine is paid at your own pharmacy.
- Consultation reviewed by an EU-licensed doctor
- Private follow-up in the in-app chat
- Full refund if the doctor does not approve
Sexual health
- Consultation reviewed by an EU-licensed doctor
- Electronic prescription if approved
- Private follow-up chat
Full refund if a review is not approved
What to know before your consultation
Emergency contraception options
Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or when your usual method has failed, such as a missed pill or a split condom. It works best the sooner it is taken. The doctor may consider levonorgestrel, taken within three days, or ulipristal acetate, taken within five days. A copper IUD fitted by a clinic within five days is the most effective option, and the doctor tells you when it may be the better choice.
Who the online pathway suits
The online pathway is for anyone who has had unprotected sex or a contraceptive failure within the last five days and is not already pregnant. It may not be suitable if you take medicines that reduce the effect of the pills, such as some epilepsy medicines, rifampicin or St John's Wort, or if you have severe liver disease. If more than five days have passed, or neither pill suits you, you are directed to a clinic for a copper IUD. Sexual assault or a possible HIV exposure needs same-day in-person care.
Side effects and warning signs
Common side effects include headache, nausea, tummy pain, breast tenderness and a period that comes earlier or later than expected. If you vomit within three hours of taking the pill, you need another dose, so contact your doctor. Ulipristal and hormonal contraception can make each other less effective, so you usually wait five days before restarting your method and use condoms meanwhile. Seek urgent care for severe one-sided abdominal pain, shoulder pain, heavy bleeding or fainting, which can signal an ectopic pregnancy.
Other emergency options
A copper IUD can be fitted by a sexual-health or family-planning clinic within five days of unprotected sex, and it then works as ongoing contraception. In many EU countries, pharmacists can also provide emergency contraception without a prescription. Emergency contraception is not a regular method, so the doctor can point you to reliable ongoing options. If the doctor decides the pills are not appropriate for you, they explain why, tell you where to go urgently, and your consultation fee is refunded.
What the evidence shows
The European Medicines Agency has authorised ulipristal acetate for emergency contraception within 120 hours of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. The World Health Organization reports that a copper IUD fitted within five days is more than 99 per cent effective, making it the most effective emergency method. WHO and UK Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare guidance both describe ulipristal as more effective than levonorgestrel, especially later in the window. Neither pill ends a pregnancy that has already started.
Your emergency consultation
Because timing matters, the questionnaire asks when you had sex, about your cycle, the method that failed, your weight, medicines, breastfeeding and any warning signs. An EU-licensed doctor reviews your answers in the private chat and, if appropriate, prescribes the pill that suits your timing and health. You collect and pay for it at a pharmacy of your choice in the EU and take it as soon as possible. If a pill is not suitable, the doctor directs you to a clinic urgently.
What happens afterwards
Your next period may come earlier or later than usual. Take a pregnancy test at least three weeks after the unprotected sex, or sooner if your period is more than seven days late or unusually light. Use condoms until your regular contraception is working again, and consider an STI test after unprotected sex. Message your doctor in the chat if you vomit soon after the dose, have unusual pain or bleeding, or want advice on ongoing contraception.
Sources
- European Medicines Agency. ellaOne (ulipristal acetate): EPAR (2025)
- European Medicines Agency. ellaOne: EPAR product information (SmPC and package leaflet) (2025)
- World Health Organization. Emergency contraception: fact sheet (2021)
- Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (now College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare). FSRH Guideline: Emergency Contraception (March 2017, amended July 2023) (2023)
- AEMPS CIMA (Spanish medicines agency database). Levonorgestrel 1.5 mg: package leaflet (national product information) (2025)
Sources checked on September 29, 2026
Your questions answered
How quickly should I take it?
Do I need a video call?
What if more than 3 days have passed?
Is a copper IUD more effective than the pill?
Can my weight or other medicines affect it?
What side effects can it cause?
What should I do afterwards?
What does it cost?
What if the doctor declines?
Which sexual-health treatments does Hi-Doctor cover?
How much does sexual-health care cost, and when will I hear back?
What treatments are there for erectile dysfunction?
Are PDE5 inhibitors safe?
Are there alternatives if the tablets don't work for me?
How discreet is everything handled?
Can erectile dysfunction indicate another problem?
Saying it is the first step
Answer the questionnaire and a licensed doctor reads it. You pay only if treatment is approved.
Start emergency consultationNo charge unless a doctor approves your treatment.Pay nothing if a doctor doesn't approve your treatment. Every consultation is fully refundable. How refunds work


