Will Ethinyl Estradiol work for me after unprotected sex?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Take a breath. You acted quickly, which is good.

What you did is a known method called the Yuzpe method. It uses regular combined pills that contain Ethinylestradiol and Levonorgestrel as emergency contraception.

Whether it is effective depends on the exact dose in each pill.

For the Yuzpe method to work, the correct total dose per round is about 100 micrograms of Ethinylestradiol plus 0.5 mg of Levonorgestrel, followed by the same dose again 12 hours later.

Most common combined pills contain 30 micrograms of Ethinylestradiol and 0.15 mg of Levonorgestrel each. If that is what your pill contains, then 4 pills equal 120 micrograms of Ethinylestradiol and 0.6 mg of Levonorgestrel, which is appropriate for one dose.

However, this method requires two doses 12 hours apart. So if you only took four pills once, you may need to take the same number again 12 hours after the first dose for proper effectiveness.

This method is less effective than dedicated emergency pills such as Plan B One-Step, but it can still reduce the risk of pregnancy if taken within 72 hours. The sooner it is taken, the better.

It works best within 24 hours. It may cause nausea or vomiting. If you vomit within two hours of taking it, you need to repeat the dose. You should take a pregnancy test in about three weeks or if your next period is more than one week late.

Please tell me the exact dose written on your pill pack so I can confirm whether four pills were the correct amount and whether you need to repeat a second dose.

I hope this has helped you.

Please feel free to reach out to me again if you have further queries.

Thank you.