Preventing pregnancy when something has gone wrong

Emergency contraception (also called the "morning after pill" or EHC) stops conception (getting pregnant). It can be taken up to 72 hours after you have had sex. The earlier you take it, the better it works.

You can get emergency contraception from lots of places, including:

• Your Doctor, or another GP's Surgery
• Most pharmacies (chemists)
• Some School Bodyzones or drop-in clinics
• Any Contraception & Sexual Health (C&SH) Clinic

If you are a young woman under 18, you can get contraception free of charge from some Oxfordshire Chemists (also called pharmacists -- Boots is the most famous brand). Ask, or look for posters near the dispensary.

You can also buy Emergency Contraception over the counter from a Chemist if you are over 16.

Crucial: Although EHC is effective, it should not be taken too often. You have to have a short discussion with a pharmacist, doctor or nurse anyway, so they can check it's safe for you to take EHC. Use this talk to ask about a effective long-term contraception.

Oxfordshire Chemists supplying free Emergency Contraception to young women

Please be aware that EHC might only be available at limited times or from particular pharmacists, and that you will have to have a short conversation with the pharmacist so they know it's safe for you to take EHC.

Note: you can download printable lists of Pharmacies in Oxfordshire currently offering free Emergency Hormonal Contraception to young women under 18 here, with addresses, opening times and phone numbers:

• All pharmacies in Oxfordshire offering free EHC to young women (pdf, 55K)
• All pharmacies in Oxfordshire offering free EHC to young women (word, 164K)

List last updated 31 March 2010

Boots the Chemist	27 Bury Street	Abingdon	OX14 3QT
Lloyds Pharmacy (open late)	19 Bury Street	Abingdon	OX14 3QT
Bampton Healthcare	Landells	Bampton	OX18 2LJ
Boots the Chemist	Castle Quay Shopping Centre	Banbury	OX16 5UH
Cross Chemist	12-14 West Bar	Banbury	OX16 9RR
Superdrug Pharmacy	34-35 Castle Quay	Banbury	OX16 5UN
Frosts Pharmacy	Hardwick Shopping Centre	Banbury	OX16 1XE
Sainsbury’s Pharmacy (open late, open sundays)	642 Oxford Road	Banbury	OX16 9XA
Lloyds Pharmacy	23 High Street	Benson	OX10 6RP
Boots the Chemist (open sundays)	33-35 Sheep Street	Bicester	OX26 6JJ
Lloyds Pharmacy	The Old Barn, Coker Close	Bicester	OX26 6DR
Jardines Pharmacy	2 Nightingale Place, Langford Village	Bicester	OX26 6XX
Superdrug Pharmacy (open sundays)	39 Sheep Street	Bicester	OX26 6JJ
National Co-op Pharmacy	5 Barberry Place	Bicester	OX26 3HA
Broadshires Pharmacy (open late week days)	Broadshires Way	Carterton	OX18 1JA
Lloyds Pharmacy	7 Burford Road	Carterton	OX18 3AG
Chalgrove Pharmacy	60 High Street	Chalgove	OX44 7SS
Boots the Chemist	18 High Street	Chipping Norton	OX7 5AD
The Co-operative Pharmacy	6A High Street	Chipping Norton	OX7 5AD
Rowlands	1 The Pound	Cholsey	OX10 9NS
Lloyds Pharmacy Blackbird Leys	100 Blackbird Leys Road	Cowley	OX4 6HS
Lloyds Pharmacy Greater Leys HC	Dunnock Way	Cowley	OX4 7EX
The Leys Pharmacy (open late open Sundays)	In Spar, Dunnock Way	Cowley	OX4 7EX
Superdrug Pharmacy	Unit 5 Templar Square	Cowley	OX4 3UZ
Rowlands Pharmacy (open late week days)	17 Ivy Close	Cowley	OX4 2NB
Lloyds Pharmacy (open late week days)	214 The Broadway	Didcot	OX11 0BB
Boots the Chemist	130b The Broadway	Didcot	OX11 8RG
Lloyds Pharmacy (open late week days)	64 Acre End Street	Eynsham	OX29 4PD
Faringdon Pharmacy (open late, open sundays)	28a London Street	Faringdon	SN7 7AA
Northway Pharmacy	54 Westlands Drive	Headington	OX3 9QT
Alliance Pharmacy	2 West Lane	Henley	RG9 2BA
Boots Pharmacy	5-7 Bell Street	Henley	RG9 2BA
Lloyds Pharmacy (open late, open sundays)	25 Oxford Road	Kidlington	OX5 2BP
Jenners Pharmacy	236-238 Cowley Road	Oxford East	OX4 1UH
Boots the Chemist	151a Cowley Road	Oxford East	OX4 1JJ
Boots the Chemist (open late thu, open sundays)	6-8 Cornmarket Street	Oxford Central	OX1 3HL
Bliep Pharmacy	190 Abingdon Road	Oxford Central	OX1 4RA
Smith Dispensing Chemist (open late some evenings)	172 Kennington Road	Oxford Central	OX1 5PG
Llloyds Pharmacy	116 Walton Street	Oxford Central	OX2 6AJ
Boots the Chemist	221 Banbury Road	Oxford North	OX2 7HO
Rowlands Pharmacy	227 Banbury Road	Oxford North	OX2 7HQ
Woodstock Road Chemist	59 Woodstock Road	Oxford North	OX2 6HS
H Carson Ltd	19B Wood Lane	Sonning Common	RG4 9SJ
Boots the Chemist	7-8 Market Place	Wallingford	OX10 0EG
Lloyds Pharmacy	20-21 Market Place	Wallingford	OX10 0AD
Bretts	11-12 Millbrook Square	Wantage	OX12 7JZ
Boots the Chemist	50-51 Market Place	Wantage	OX12 8AW
Cleggs Chemist	Unit 3 Kings Walk, Limborough Road	Wantage	OX12 9AJ
Lloyds Pharmacy (open late)	The Health Centre, Mably Way	Wantage	OX12 9BN
Boots the Chemist	2-8 High Street,	Witney	OX28 6HA
Boots Pharmacy	3 Edington Square, Deer Park	Witney	OX28 5YT
Lloyds Pharmacy (open late)	24 - 26 High Street	Witney	OX28 6HB
Rowlands Pharmacy	Nuffield Health Centre, Welch Way	Witney	OX26 6JQ
Woodstock Pharmacy (open late, open Sunday)	24 High Street	Woodstock	OX20 1TF

You can find out more about contraceptives and sex from these helplines:

• Brook Helpline 0800 0185 023 advice about sex and contraception for people under 25 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
• Sexwise Helpline 0800 28 29 30 advice about sex for people under 18 (7am-midnight)

Experience

On my first visit to the Alec Turnbull clinic I saw Carrie, the nurse. She was friendly and explained everything. She said she would not write to my doctor if I didn’t want her to. I didn’t have to give my name and address, but I didn’t mind because they said they wouldn’t write home. She asked a lot of questions about my health and my family to make sure that if I went on the pill I wouldn’t have dangerous side effects. Then I saw the doctor. I was glad it was a lady doctor. She gave me the pills and told me how to take them and when. She said I could ring or come back if I had any problems. If you are thinking about going to a Family Planning Clinic, don’t worry. Everyone is nice to you. I thought they might tell me to take all my clothes off, but all you have is a blood pressure test and they weigh you. – Rebecca