Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About...
Side Effects
What if I bleed after taking emergency contraceptive pills?
Most of the time, there is no reason to worry if you bleed after taking
emergency contraceptive
pills (also called "morning
after pills" or "day after pills"). Although not
a common side effect,
the hormones in the pills (either progestin
alone or progestin combined
with estrogen) can cause some women to bleed at unexpected times.
If that is the cause of your bleeding, it is not dangerous and you
should expect it to go away by itself after you get your
next period.
You should know, however, that your unusual bleeding could be caused
by something else that, in rare cases, may be more serious. It’s
a good idea to call your health care provider if you have other symptoms
(like abdominal pain or dizziness), if the bleeding lasts more than
a few days, if it starts to get heavier, or if you're just worried
that it might be something serious.
After taking emergency contraceptive pills, your next period should
come within the next month, either on time or a week before or after
you would normally expect it. (For more information, click
here.) If it doesn’t come within a week after you expect
it, you might consider getting a pregnancy test.
For a thorough and up-to-date academic review of the medical and social
science literature on emergency contraception, including bleeding
patterns, click here .