The morning-after pill is an emergency contraceptive pill that can reduce your chances of getting pregnant after unprotected sex. If taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex, the morning-after pill can significantly reduce your risk of pregnancy. This is a safe and easy way to prevent pregnancy without needing a prescription or having to go to the drugstore. You can use the morning-after pill whenever you need it without impacting your ability to get pregnant in the future.

The FDA states that there are no concerns that would prevent someone from using levonorgestrel emergency contraceptives safely — regardless of how much they weigh. When emergency contraception is taken within 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex or birth control failure, it can significantly decrease your chances of pregnancy by nearly 90%.

However, there are some studies that suggest efficacy may decrease as body weight and BMI increase. If you weigh over 165 lbs or have a BMI over 25, the morning-after pill available without a prescription may not be as effective, and you may want to consider the prescription morning-after pill, Ella, or the copper IUD. If you have concerns about whether Restart™ is right for you, reach out to your primary care provider.

While everyone — at any weight — should be able to use the morning-after pill and trust that it will work effectively, we know that this is not the reality. As a team, we’re committed to advocating for accessible emergency contraception for all and will work to offer better options to our customers as they become available. We urge the FDA to approve a higher dose of emergency contraception that is effective for all bodies, regardless of size.

It is common to experience short term side effects from the morning-after pill. Side effects may include changes in your period flow (heavier or lighter bleeding) or timing (your next period may be early or late), nausea, lower stomach pain, tiredness, headache, dizziness, and breast tenderness. 

Restart™, or any morning-after pill with the hormone levonorgestrel, will not prevent pregnancy if you’re already ovulating. Because Restart™ prevents pregnancy by delaying ovulation, this means that if you take it while you’re ovulating it may not work as intended. It’s important to note that most don’t know exactly when they ovulate, so it’s best to take the morning-after pill as soon as possible regardless of if you think you’re about to ovulate. 

You’ll know the morning-after pill has effectively prevented pregnancy when you get your next period, which should come at the normal time in your cycle or within a week. If your period is delayed beyond one week, it’s possible you may be pregnant. You should take a pregnancy test and follow up with your primary care provider for next steps. 

There is no research that shows taking the morning-after pill will affect your ability to get pregnant in the future. 

The abortion pill is a medication that can be used to terminate a pregnancy. The official name for the abortion pill is mifepristone. It is a prescription drug that is typically taken in two doses, the first at a healthcare provider's office and the second at home.

Mifepristone works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is necessary for a pregnancy to continue. This causes the lining of the uterus to break down and the pregnancy to end. A second medication, misoprostol, is taken 24-48 hours later to help the body expel the pregnancy.

The morning-after pill is legal in all 50 states, available over-the-counter, and works to prevent pregnancy before it happens.

The abortion pill's legality varies by state, and works to terminate a pregnancy.