What pill can I take to avoid pregnancy within 72 hours?

Levonorgestrel 1.5mg, the emergency contraceptive pill — sold in Nigeria as NAFDAC-registered brands like Postinor-2 and Postpill. Take one dose as soon as possible after unprotected sex; it is licensed for use within 72 hours, but it works best in the first 24. It typically costs a few hundred to about two thousand naira at licensed pharmacies depending on brand and location. Check the NAFDAC number on the pack — this category attracts fakes.

What are the names of contraceptive pills in Nigeria?

For emergencies (within 72 hours): Postinor-2 and Postpill (levonorgestrel). For daily use: Microgynon, Levofem, and Lo-Femenal are the common combined pills, available at pharmacies and family-planning clinics. The 3-monthly injections are Depo-Provera and Sayana Press. Every registered product carries a NAFDAC number you can verify free with our checker before you buy.

Does the morning-after pill work after 72 hours?

Levonorgestrel pills like Postinor-2 are licensed for 72 hours, and effectiveness falls steeply as time passes — after that window they are unreliable. If more time has passed, see a family-planning clinic or doctor quickly: a copper IUD fitted within 5 days is the most effective emergency option available in Nigeria. Do not double-dose pills to compensate for lateness.

Will the emergency pill affect my period or future fertility?

Your next period may come early, late, or with spotting — that is common and settles by the following cycle. Emergency pills do not cause infertility, and they do not end a pregnancy that has already implanted. If your period is more than a week late, take a pregnancy test rather than another pill.

Contraception & Family Planning: Treatment in Nigeria

Updated August 2026 · Educational information — not a substitute for a doctor or pharmacist

Contraception in Nigeria splits into two very different questions that people often mix up: 'what do I take AFTER unprotected sex?' and 'what do I take regularly so I don't have to worry?'. The pills for these two situations are different medicines, and using one in place of the other is the commonest family-planning mistake.

The emergency pill — widely asked for as the 'morning-after pill' or the '72-hour pill' — is levonorgestrel 1.5mg, sold in Nigeria under NAFDAC-registered brands like Postinor-2 and Postpill. It works best the sooner it is taken and is meant for occasional emergencies, not as a routine method.

For regular prevention, daily combined pills like Microgynon and Levofem, the 3-monthly injection (Depo-Provera and Sayana Press), implants, and IUDs are used across Nigeria's public family-planning programme and private pharmacies. Daily pills only work when taken every day — which is exactly why they are not an emergency option, and why the emergency pill is not a daily one.

Signs & symptoms

Needing the morning-after pill after unprotected sex or a burst condom — act within 72 hours, the earlier the better
Wanting a regular method: daily pill, 3-monthly injection, implant, or IUD
Spotting or a changed period after taking an emergency pill — common and usually settles
A period more than a week late after emergency contraception — do a pregnancy test
Repeatedly relying on emergency pills — a sign a regular method would serve better

How it's treated

For emergencies: take levonorgestrel 1.5mg as a single dose as soon as possible after unprotected sex — it is licensed for use within 72 hours, and effectiveness drops with every hour of delay. It will not end an existing pregnancy; it works mainly by delaying ovulation. If you vomit within 3 hours of taking it, the dose needs repeating.

For regular prevention: a daily combined pill is started with guidance from a pharmacist or family-planning clinic, taken at the same time every day. The injection, implants, and IUDs remove the daily-memory problem entirely and are provided cheaply at public family-planning clinics. Condoms remain the only method that also protects against STIs — every pill and injection here prevents pregnancy only.

See a doctor if…

A period more than 7 days late after taking an emergency pill — test for pregnancy
Severe lower abdominal pain in the weeks after emergency contraception — needs same-day review to rule out ectopic pregnancy
Choosing a first regular method, especially with high blood pressure, migraine with aura, a history of blood clots, or while breastfeeding — a family-planning clinic will match the method to you
Bleeding that is heavy or persistent rather than light spotting
Any suspicion the pill you were sold is not genuine — verify the NAFDAC number before use

Prevention

Keep a registered emergency pill at home before you need it — the 72-hour window is not a good time to be hunting a genuine one at night
If you find yourself using emergency pills often, visit a family-planning clinic — regular methods are more effective, cheaper over time, and gentler on your cycle
Buy from a licensed pharmacy or registered PPMV and check the NAFDAC number on the pack — contraceptives are a commonly faked category
Emergency pills do not protect the rest of the cycle — after taking one, use condoms until your next period

Frequently asked questions

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This page is educational information about how contraception & family planning is generally managed in Nigeria. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or a prescription. Always consult a licensed clinician or pharmacist, and verify any medicine's NAFDAC registration with our free checker before buying.