The first thing you need to do is take a pregnancy test to find out for sure, the earlier you find out that you’re pregnant, the more options you have. A pregnancy test can be taken as soon as you realise you are late for a period. If your periods are very irregular, you can take a test 3 weeks after the date that you had unprotected sex on. You can have a pregnancy test for free at any FRESH clinic and the doctor or nurse will also be able to talk to you about your choices if it turns out that you are pregnant. We won’t tell anybody that you’ve taken the test and the results will be kept confidential.

If the condom split or broke while you were having sex, or if you had sex without using a condom or any other form of contraception, you are at risk of pregnancy and STI’s (sexually transmitted infections). The sooner you act, the better chance you have of avoiding pregnancy and making sure you don’t pass on any STI’s to other people. To avoid an unplanned pregnancy the emergency contraceptive pill must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex - the sooner it’s taken the more effective it is (and the less likely you are to end up pregnant). You can have a copper coil (IUD) fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex, this will also prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

If someone has forced or persuaded you into a sexual situation you were uncomfortable with, you don't have to deal with it on your own. You can call the Sexwise helpline for free on 0800 28 29 30 and your call will be treated with the strictest confidence. Or if you would prefer to speak to somebody in person, you can come to a FRESH clinic and speak to one our doctors or nurses. You can also contact The Sexual Assault Referral Centre at St Mary’s hospital on 0161 276 6515 for confidential support and information.

If you have forgotten to take your pill you need to make sure you know whether the pill you take is the Combined Pill or the Progesterone Only Pill. If you’re not sure which pill you are on check the information in the box your pills came in.

If you are on the Combined Pill, you should try and take it at the same time every day, however as long as you take your pill within 12 hours, you will be protected. If you forget to take it within 12 hours then this counts as a ‘missed pill’. If you have missed a pill then take the pill you missed now and take the rest of the pack as usual. To make sure you are protected you should also use condoms for the next 7 days. If you have missed more than one pill or you would like to speak to a nurse for more specific advice about the type of pill you are on, you should ring NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or ring FRESH on 0161 0901 1555 and ask to speak to a nurse.

If you are on the Progestogen Only Pill (POP) it’s really important that you take your pill at the same time every day, if you forget to take it within a certain number of hours then you will need to use extra protection. There are two types of Progestogen Only Pill (POP) and the number of hours you have to remember depends on which type you take:

1) Cerazette - The Progestogen Only Pill that we usually give out at the FRESH clinics is called Cerazette. If you are less than 12 hours late in taking your pill, don’t worry, you can just take the late pill as soon as you remember and then take the rest of the pack as usual.

If you are more than 12 hours late, then you should take the missed pill now and take the rest of the pack as usual. To make sure you are protected you must also use condoms for the next 2 days.

2) Not Cerazette - If you are on a Progestogen Only Pill that is not Cerazette, you only have 3 hours to remember to take your pill. If you are less than 3 hours late, then you can just take the late pill now and take the rest of the pack as usual.

If you are more than 3 hours late, then you should take the missed pill now and take the rest of the pack as usual. To make sure you are protected you must also use condoms for the next 2 days.