Did the condom slide off or tore in spite of extensive practice? It happens in the best families. It’s essential to act quickly, though.
If you worry about an unwanted pregnancy
The “morning-after pill” helps girls to prevent pregnancies for up to 72 hours (three days) after sex. It prevents that you become an unwilling father or mother. You should hurry, though, because the sooner the pill is taken, the safer it will be. It’s best to take it within 12 hours.
Getting the “morning-after pill”
In Germany, you need a prescription for the “morning-after pill”. In principle, any physician (not just the gynecologist) can issue one. At night and on weekends, the emergency medical offices and hospital walk-in clinics help. pro familia advisory services can help you and tell you addresses where you can get a prescription.
Unfortunately, there are still physicians who won’t prescribe the morning-after pill. Some claim that this pill induces an abortion, but that isn’t so. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends it’s better to take the “morning-after pill” than to risk an unwanted pregnancy!
Maybe the next time you go to see the doctor you could get a prescription just to be on the safe side? Then you would already have the “morning-after pill” at hand should an emergency arise.
Hot tips for the “morning-after pill”
It’s good that the “morning-after pill” is free of charge for youths under 20 who have statutory health insurance, because at 17-20 euros it’s not that cheap. If obtained at the age of 18 or later, there are additional fees involved. Maybe it would be a good idea to get it before your 18th or 20th birthday? ?
In other countries, the “morning-after pill” is available over the counter in pharmacies. Why don’t you just bring it with you in your next vacation?
For example:
• from Switzerland,
• from Belgiium (“pilule du lendemain”),
• from France (“contraception d`urgence”),
• from Holland (“morning-afterpil”),
• from Denmark (“fortrydelsespiller”)
• and from Great Britain (“emergency contraception pill”).
Even Turkey sells the morning-after pill (“ertesi gün hapI”) over the counter in pharmacies, where it costs only between 8 and 11 euros. Choose the medication made from only one active ingredient (levonorgestrel) because it’s more tolerable.
If you worry about infection
If you’re worried that you’ve been infected with a sexually transmitted disease because of a condom accident, then go to see a doctor or a specialized Advisory service. If detected quickly, most infections respond well to treatment and can even be cured.
If you are sure that one of you is HIV positive, then a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be considered – but you have to act quickly. Call the personal telephonic advice of the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA, tel. 01805-555 444) to obtain addresses and advice about the PEP.
In principle, it is important to keep one’s own body under observation. Unusual changes and especially itching, burning or discharge are unmistakable reasons for a fast doctor’s health check.