Unplanned Pregnancy

Also known as the “morning after pill”, emergency contraception is available over the counter from pharmacies or from your doctor. It is most effective if taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex (95% effective), and its effectiveness is reduced to 58% if left 48-72 hours after intercourse.

If you think you’ve missed a period or think you might be pregnant for some other reason, then the best thing to do is to start by taking a simple pregnancy test.

Although it is tempting to bury your head in the sand and pretend it is not happening, it’s essential that you find out if you’re pregnant as soon as possible. Waiting and hoping that the pregnancy will disappear of its own accord is definitely not the answer!

Types of tests

Home pregnancy tests are cheap (between $10 - $20), extremely reliable, available from chemists and supermarkets and easy to use. They work by detecting a certain pregnancy hormone in your urine. It’s best to buy a twin pack (most brands come in either single or twin packs) in case you stuff up the first time. Depending on the brand, it can take up to five minutes to get a result.

If you’d rather leave it to a professional, head to your nearest sexual health clinic or your GP. They’ll ask you about the date of your last period, when you had unprotected sex and will either do a urine or blood test.

Result time

With a pregnancy test, the result will either be:

NEGATIVE - If you don’t want to be pregnant you will breathe a sigh of relief and use this false alarm to get your contraception sorted out!

See your doctor or a family planning clinic and talk to them about contraception options available to you.

POSITIVE - If your test is positive, you are pregnant and now need to decide what to do.

Unplanned pregancy - talking it over

It is important to face what is happening and seek advice as soon as possible, so all options are open to you. You don’t have to make this difficult decision alone – other people can help you make a decision by explaining your choices.

It is also important to remember to make the right decision for YOU, and this might not always be the decision your boyfriend or family would make. Information and support is available from many organisations, but make sure you find out about the organisation before you approach them as some organisations have strong beliefs which you may not share.

Ignoring an unwanted pregnancy won’t make it go away, so seek help as soon as possible. In the end you must decide what YOU want to do.

Unplanned pregnancy - your options

If you experience an unplanned pregnancy, you have three options available to you:

• Keeping the baby
• Having the baby adopted
• Having an abortion

Other people will probably try to influence your decision, but in the end only you know what you can handle and only you know what is best for you.

By making a careful, informed decision, you’ll be able to look back and know that what you did was the best for you at the time. Be strong and don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help.

If you have any questions about an unplanned pregnancy that we haven't answered here, why not contact us or go to the Help and Advice page. Your call will be treated anonymously and in confidence.