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Aftera User Reviews & Ratings

Aftera has an average rating of 6.9 out of 10 from a total of 249 reviews on Drugs.com. 60% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 23% reported a negative experience.

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Emergency Contraception
6.9
246 reviews for Emergency Contraception 28 medications

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Reviews for Aftera

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Anonymous
  • September 25, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I'm never one to write any types of reviews, but I felt like I needed to write one now since this was the only thing that kept me sane while I was waiting for my period. Firstly, just breathe, you're gonna be okay. I had unprotected sex on the night of 9/3, he didn't pull out, he completely finished in me. I am not on birth control. Not even an hour after, we ran out and bought Aftera (they were sold out of Plan B). Turns out my ovulation day was 9/4! I was going crazy because I did experience side effects like headaches, feeling very sleepy, and cramping. I was supposed to get my period on 9/18, and it came on 9/20!! Only 2 days late. Ladies, try not to freak yourselves out. I know it's hard, but this pill works!! The more you stress, the later your period could potentially be, so just try not to think about it because there's nothing you can do right now. Just remember there are so many other females going through the same exact thing. You're not alone, stay positive, and good luck to all of you!! <3"

10 / 10
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  • Col...
  • June 29, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I am so thankful I am not pregnant and it did the job, but this pill seriously messed up my cycle and had me so anxious for about two months. I wasn’t due to get my period for another two weeks at the time I took the pill. Six days later, I started bleeding, and it lasted about four days. The first two days it was maybe enough to fill tampons, but the other days it was very light, like only there when I wiped. Fast forward to when my period was scheduled to come - still no period. I ended up getting my period ten days late, but I could have sworn I was pregnant. I had been having creamy white discharge for about two weeks and had been feeling bloated with cramps and headaches - this NEVER happens to me! My period is here now, but it’s significantly lighter than it normally is. I have taken Plan B once before in the past, and I never had any problems at all. Ladies, please spend the extra $10, or even better, get on regular birth control! Also, stay off Google to stay sane."

4 / 10
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  • If...
  • March 19, 2017

For Emergency Contraception "I am a teen, and if you are one too, you might want to read this if you're stressing and want to know how this works. I had sex with my boyfriend, he came in me with no condom. We bought Aftera about 1 hour later. My boobs were sore for about two weeks, it first started the day after I had taken the pill. The pain may get really bad, but just breathe and relax, it's a side effect. I got cramps here and there, but it would feel like a little kick to my stomach. Then I had spotting for one day. I thought I was pregnant because of the dark color, but that is also a side effect. Just breathe and let the pill do its work. Plan B and Aftera are the same thing, same ingredients. Don't dig through every website trying to see if you're pregnant or not, it's okay."

10 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Les...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • March 1, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "First of all, I just want to start off by saying this emergency contraception works well. Some of the reviews were saying that this “Aftera” pill is cheap and doesn’t work, well, let me tell you all that’s false. Aftera has worked wonders for me about 13 times. I’ve taken this pill various times, and it’s worked every time (regardless of whether you’re ovulating or not). Price doesn’t always matter, as long as it’s a reasonable price. I started using Aftera because Plan B was out of stock, personally, I prefer Aftera over Plan B. They both contain 1.5 mg of levonorgestrel, so there’s really no difference besides pricing. But for some reason, Plan B always makes me spot, cramp up, and feel nauseous. Ladies, don’t let bad reviews get to you, everyone’s situation is different, and it also depends on how long after sex you took the pill."

10 / 10
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  • Sop...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 2, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend on my ovulation day. He did the pull-out method, and I took the Aftera pill the next morning. I never heard of this brand before, but Plan B was out of stock, so I had to use this one. Anyway, throughout the month, I noticed I started to get thick white discharge, and that just meant the pill was doing its job in thickening your uterine wall to prevent implantation. I was actually overthinking because I came to read some reviews about other women’s experiences, and the pill supposedly does not work if you're a certain amount of weight, but I weigh 155 lbs. And all I could say is the pill WORKS. At any time of the cycle, I got my period right on time. But it’s also normal if you either get it a week late or early! So ladies, please stop worrying about being pregnant! If you took the pill within the first 3 days, then you’re good! Just let the pill do its job."

10 / 10
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  • TTa...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 10, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I took Aftera (an hour post-sex) after I realized I was in my fertile window (5 days before ovulation), and my partner and I had unprotected sex (used the withdrawal method). I remember waking up the next day, and I felt as if I had the stomach flu and my period at the same time. I did not have any sort of bleeding or spotting in between me taking the pill and my period (which came a week early). I had much more discharge, cramps, and bloating for about 2 weeks. I had severe anxiety due to reading that the chances of Aftera working in your fertile window are lower. THAT IS NOT TRUE! My period came a week early, and I had severe PMS symptoms beforehand. My period is extremely heavy with painful cramps. DO NOT GOOGLE YOUR SYMPTOMS BECAUSE IT WILL SAY PREGNANCY! The internet does not know your body, only you do. Trust the pill!"

9 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • October 3, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I’m never the type to write reviews, but I felt the need because I haven’t read about anyone who had my experience?? But I took the pill a day after I had unprotected sex (July 29) just to be safe, and my period actually skipped the whole month of August (my last period was July 18), and I got scared thinking I was pregnant. But I took 2 different pregnancy tests in that month of August, and they came out negative. On September 13th, I got light spotting for about 6-7 days, but not enough to fill up a pad, which also scared me because I was only spotting, and I took another pregnancy test which came out negative. It is now October 2nd, and I finally got a normal period flow. The pill works, but it really messes up your cycle, I was paranoid for like 2 whole months!"

6 / 10
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42 Report

More FAQ

  • Not...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 22, 2016

For Emergency Contraception "I was so unbelievably petrified when I had sex and the condom broke. I ran to CVS the second it opened, which was around 8 hours after I had sex. They were out of Plan B, and Aftera was the only option. I figured better than nothing. I Googled the entire day, it said I was in my highest fertility window, and I had absolutely no side effects. That made me even more nervous. I woke up today knowing I should get my period in absolute panic, but it worked. I wrote this because I didn't find many happy reviews, and I really could have used one while I was excessively Googling. I hope this helps one person. I am one happy customer!"

10 / 10
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  • abc...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 17, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I wanted to share my experience that was very different from everyone else's on here. Not only did this work and did not get pregnant, but I experienced no side effects at all. No cramps, nausea, anything. I was actually so shocked because after reading these reviews, I was so scared... while it may have side effects for some people, I just wanted to share that at least I'm one example of someone for whom this worked completely with no pain! :)"

10 / 10
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  • Sho...
  • December 2, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I used Aftera, and trust me, ladies, this works wonders. I was kind of hesitant to use Aftera since it’s the generic version of Plan B, but it works like a charm. I’m in college and not ready for a baby right now, so this definitely was good. Hopefully, this gave you some type of hope when using this. ❤️❤️"

9 / 10
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  • Mar...
  • February 10, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I was having sex with my girlfriend, then the condom broke. I was so worried, so we bought the pill around 30 minutes later. I was so worried about the pill not working since it was cheaper, and we had to wait for her period. I’m too young for a child. I was so stressed and so worried for around 3 weeks, but it worked. It works, don't overthink, guys, let it do what it has to do, and you’ll be good."

9 / 10
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  • gla...
  • June 8, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I told myself I would write a detailed review after using Aftera because reading these reviews was the only thing keeping me sane while waiting for my next period to come. First off... I read so many negative reviews of people saying this didn't work and they were annoyed they didn't just spend the extra money for Plan B. Ladies... this drug is the SAME EXACT thing as Plan B. All of the ingredients are exactly the same, and the only reason it costs less is because generic meds are funded and advertised differently. In fact, I am sure many of you are on generic birth control pills or have been prescribed generic antibiotics in the past, and they all work just the same. We also don't know the details of the comment poster's sex life, meaning if they are having regular sex, they could have fallen pregnant either before or after taking emergency contraception and blame the unintended pregnancy on the pill not working. Try not to freak yourself out too much by reading the negative reviews :)"

7 / 10
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  • BPa...
  • March 20, 2021

"I’m here to first say, STAY OFF INTERNET SEARCHING. Second, I’m someone who has used this brand time after time, and it has worked. No matter what point in your cycle. Third, I’m a plus-size girl (size 20), and it worked. This pill is literally the same as Plan B, just at a cheaper price point. After using this, I can say the side effects are either the same or different. This recent time, discharge was thick, boobs are heavy, and also moody with acne. I’m someone who has anxiety, and if you need to take a test, take it. As far as the period, I had different effects every time: first time early, second time on time, the third time was on time, and my recent time it was a little later. That's really the only thing I’ll complain about. Just relax, Sis. I recommend this brand because it works."

9 / 10
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  • Att...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 31, 2024

For Emergency Contraception "For context, I’m a 17 y/o female. My boyfriend and I had unprotected intercourse (stupid of me, I know), so a day later I bought Plan B for the first time! I noticed Aftera was about $10 cheaper than the other brands, and as a broke high school student, obviously I went with the cheaper option. I took the pill about 28 hours after unprotected sex. The side effects were pretty bad but nothing unbearable. The first few hours my stomach was cramping like a mild period, I felt nauseous and light-headed. I felt much more dependent on my boyfriend, and some hours I’d feel numb towards him. I cried a lot, the pill gave me a lot of mood swings. Also, I had a LOT of white discharge, so don’t be paranoid if you have increased discharge! About 6 days after taking the pill, I got my period on time! Sometimes Plan B can make your period come later or earlier! This pill worked great for my first time, obviously, there would be side effects, but it prevented pregnancy, which is its main purpose!"

10 / 10
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  • kka...
  • April 19, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "A week ago, I had pull-out sex with a guy friend - desperate times, desperate measures - and he pulled out in time. But I checked my app, and I was in my fertile window, so I freaked out and went to CVS at 2 AM, and Aftera was all they had in store. So I took a chance, and I didn't really notice any symptoms besides sore boobs. Then this morning, I woke up and was cramping really bad and had brown spotting. Of course, Google said it was implantation bleeding, so I sped to Walmart to get a pregnancy test. Of course, it was going to come back negative, it's only been a week. But I am super high anxiety, and I did some more research and discovered it was just the pill working. It is 5 AM, and I'm sitting here still freaking out, reading through all these for peace of mind, and I started bleeding with clots. As far as I know, I'm not pregnant, so I'll say it worked for me! Girls, stay off the internet."

10 / 10
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  • cle...
  • July 8, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "My boyfriend finished in me. My period tracker said it was the day of ovulation. I took Aftera within an hour after sex. I heard it doesn't work when you ovulate, but app trackers are not always 100% accurate, so I was hoping I hadn't ovulated yet or that I ovulated earlier. The pill is designed to delay your ovulation by 4-5 days (the number of days it takes sperm to die). If you haven't ovulated yet, your ovulation will be delayed by 4-5 days, hence why people experience spotting. I assume it's an indication of your delayed ovulation. For people who don't spot, hang in there because you might have ovulated earlier, so the pill, in retrospect, wasn't necessary. Symptoms: I suffered from severe nausea and cramps for 10 days up until my flow came. Usually, my boobs become really sore, but they weren't this time. I was one of the lucky ones, I assume I had ovulated 1 day earlier than the app predicted."

10 / 10
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  • Did...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 8, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I made myself a promise that I would review this if it worked for me. I had a mishap during sex, and the condom slipped off. I was not entirely sure if he ejaculated in me or not. At first, I was going to play it out since it was at around one a.m., but I got super paranoid since I was ovulating. I got Aftera 5-8 hours after the mishap. The symptoms I had were beyond crazy. My boobs were itchy and sore, I was tired all the time, peeing frequently, constantly bloated or nauseous (basically most of the pregnancy symptoms for about two weeks). I took two pregnancy tests, which both came out negative despite symptoms. My period was late by about three days. It was so light that I thought it was spotting. Came for fewer days too. On to my second month, my period came in a week early and is very heavy. I hope this soothes your anxiety. I did not get pregnant, and I hope your experience will be good."

10 / 10
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  • IT ...
  • November 5, 2016

For Emergency Contraception "Had unprotected sex (I know, dumb) on my ovulation day, and he decided to finish inside (dumb again). I bought this pill about 8 hours later. No side effects, and my period came right on schedule. After taking it, I read all the reviews here. A lot negative, and I have been a nervous wreck since. I conceived all my kids on the first try, so I get pregnant easily... Don't worry or stress if you're reading this. It definitely works!"

10 / 10
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  • All...
  • May 7, 2017

For Emergency Contraception "I just wanted to let everyone know if you take a Plan B style contraceptive AFTER you have ovulated, which is difficult for some women to predict, it might not work. Regardless of brand. That's what I have learned. I have taken each a couple times, and they worked fine, both brands, until I took one after ovulation. Just wanted to share that experience."

6 / 10
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  • Mis...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 23, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I took Aftera after messing up my birth control and a partner hadn’t withdrawn. I had all the side effects of pregnancy, which weren’t unbearable, just freaked me out a lot. The one thing that stressed me out the most was the spotting I got for an hour 10 days after I took the pill, which I could’ve sworn was implantation bleeding. But all in all, the time for my period came and it came right on time, so I say don’t freak out and stop looking up symptoms!!"

10 / 10
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  • Ama...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • December 24, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I left a previous review about how amazing Aftera was for me, but I have a disclaimer: It CAN delay your period. It CAN cause mood swings and irritation. It CAN give you cramps, weakness, and simply make your body feel off-whack. But for the wonders it worked, it was totally worth it."

10 / 10
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  • Aan...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 11, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I wanted to leave a review because your reviews meant so much to me when I was scared and freaking out: I had unprotected sex Sunday morning, and he didn't pull out in time. I was not on birth control. I got/took Aftera almost exactly 24 hours later because they were out of Plan B. I experienced some slight pain and headaches, but I started my period 5 days later. This absolutely works, even if you can't take it immediately after unprotected sex. I was so scared that because I had waited 24 hours, it was too late, but it wasn't. And just because this is the more generic version, it does work, just remember we've all got different circumstances going on. Happy New Year :)"

10 / 10
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  • rlw...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 12, 2018

For Emergency Contraception "It worked. My girlfriend took the pill on July 9th within 18 hrs of unprotected sex after the condom broke. Eight days later, she had a light period for four days. A month later, around the first week of August, she had extremely sore boobs. On August 20, she had another period that was extremely heavy. I sweated about this the whole time and read every review on this site and others. Just wanted to give some hope to the next person who reads this!"

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • January 12, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "Omg, so let me tell y'all about this EC! I took it once before in October, my November period was pretty regular, I think a little late. Then I took it again in December, on the day after the last day of my period, day 6. I had spotting a week and a day later; blackish, brownish, light pink, and bright red at one point. It lasted about two, three days. My period was due on January 01, y'all, a week later still nothing. I took numerous tests, all negative; my period finally came on the 9th. Over a week after it was supposed to come. Thankful!! My period has never been that late though ever, so I was nervous. Emergency contraceptives really mess with your hormones and mess with your body as well. I would recommend taking one only if absolutely necessary. I’ve popped enough Plan B’s and other EC; and the effects like nausea, bloating, irregular cycles, and stress aren’t worth it to be taking it like vitamins. Hope this helps! I’m celibate now."

9 / 10
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  • Irr...
  • July 26, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "Do yourself a favor and stop reading online reviews as they will literally drive you insane. I convinced myself I was, in fact, preggers (somehow developed ALL the magical symptoms...in my head, of course). With that being said, things happened with my significant other, and needless to say, we were both a little tipsy, so I needed to take this pill. It worked for me. Side effects weren't too great, but it got the job done. Plan B has failed me once, this did not, and it's only the second time taking emergency contraception. I downloaded a fertility app, 'Glow,' which gives you a more accurate time frame of when you would be ovulating, just for peace of mind. I should mention that I am over the recommended weight limit, as some reviews suggested (in case you're not a perfect size 2 yourself and are worried). Just relax, buy a pregnancy test (as I did, just in case), and hope for the best."

10 / 10
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16 Report

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