There is a new birth control pill available via prescription in Europe which allows women up to 5 days to make a decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. Up until this new pill, the only other option for women wanting to make sure they would not become pregnant after unprotected sex, was a morning after pill, which needed to be taken up to 72 hours after intercourse.

This new pill is comprised of ulipristel acetate instead of levonorgestrel, the main ingredient of the older morning after pill. The pills work by releasing hormones into the body to prevent the releasing of an egg, or to stop it from implanting into the womb. The pill was tested on up to 1694 women who attended medical clinics in UK, Republic of Ireland and the US. The women were randomly assigned to receive either the 3 day, or the 5 day version of the contraceptive. Researchers noted that more women who received levonorgestrel became pregnant than women given ulipristel acetate. The study can be found in the British medical journal, Lancet.