Emergency hormonal contraceptive pill (EHC)
What is the emergency hormonal contraceptive pill?
The effectiveness of the emergency contraceptive pill decreases over time. If it is taken within 24 hours of having unprotected sex it prevents 95% of pregnancies. It is important to make contact with our service or a pharmacy (see below) as soon as possible.
There are two types of EHC pill:
Ulipristal Acetate (also known as EllaOne)
Ulipristal Acetate can be taken up to five days (120 hours) after having unprotected sex.
Levonorgestel (also known as Levonelle)
Levonorgestel is the most commonly used. It can be taken up to three days (72 hours) after having unprotected sex.
The effectiveness of Levonelle decreases over time. If it is taken within 24 hours of having unprotected sex it prevents 95% of pregnancies.
Availability
Our Service
We offer free emergency contraception for all ages. We are a confidential service and you can easily book a telephone appointment by calling us on 01903 285199.
Our staff are experienced and will provide you with the necessary information and guidance to make sure that you have access to the right emergency contraception.
If you have any questions, please call us on the number provided.
Pharmacies
We want to make sure you have access to the resources you need. Across the county, several pharmacies are offering free emergency contraception for people over the age of 16. If you are under the age of 16 and you are unable to access our service, please contact your GP as soon as possible.
Pharmacies offering emergency contraception in West Sussex (updated April 2025):
- Crawley Chemists 14 Haslett Avenue, West, Crawley RH10 1HS Contact Number: 01293 522160
- Dexters Pharmacy (Ceepharm Ltd) 7 Water Tower Buildings, London Rd, Bognor Contact Number: 01243 821488
- Kamsons 12-14 Broadfield Barton, Crawley RH11 9BA Contact Number: 01293 513336
- Kamsons 13A Eastgate Square, Chichester PO19 1JL Contact Number: 01243 782194
- Kamsons 22-24 Broadwater Street, West Worthing BN14 9DA Contact Number: 01903 201670
- Kamsons 9 Tilgate Parade, Crawley RH10 5EQ Contact Number: 01293 525495
- Kamsons 8 Furnace Green, Crawley RH10 6NX Contact Number: 01293 528107
- Kamsons 84 High Street, Littlehampton Contact Number: 01903 716563
- Kamsons Angmering Medical Centre, Station Road, Angmering BN16 4HL Contact Number: 01903 784878
- Midhurst Pharmacy Whitorne House, North St Midhurst GU29 9DH Contact Number: 01730 813231
- Paydens Chichester 7 The Ridgeway, Sherbourne Road, Parklands, Chichester PO19 3LA Contact Number: 01243 782695
- Paydens Lime Tree Lime Tree Avenue, Worthing, BN14 0DL Contact Number: 01903 694143
- Paydens Lancing / Gill Lancing 45 South Street, Lancing, BN15 8AN Contact Number: 01903 752191
- Glyn Norris Littlehampton 1 Wick Parade, Wick Street, Littlehampton, BN17 7JQ Contact Number: 01903 715891
- Paydens Worthing 6-10 Rectory Road, Tarring, Worthing, BN14 7PA Contact Number: 01903 202746
- Paydens Teville Road Worthing 56 Teville Road, Worthing BN11 1UY Contact Number: 01903 202746
- Paydens Broadwater 3-4 Broadwater Boulevard, Worthing, BN14 8JE Contact Number: 01903 201331
- Paydens Steyning Steyning Health Centre, Tanyard Lane, Steyning BN44 3RJ Contact Number: 01903 815615
- Petworth Pharmacy Market Square, Petworth, GU28 0AH Contact Number: 01798 342112
- Greens Pharmacy 1-3 St. Mary’s Rd, Shoreham BN43 5ZA Contact Number: 01273 464139
- Hopkins Pharmacy 29 Station Rd, Burgess Hill RH15 9DE Contact Number: 01444 233277
- Paydens Shelley Road 23 Shelley Road, Worthing BN11 4BS Contact Number: 01903 200100
- Paydens (Park) Pharmacy, Shoreham 193b Upper Shoreham Road, Shoreham, BN43 6BT Contact Number: 01273 454030
- Bognor Regis Pharmacy (LLOYDS Pharmacy) 47-49 Queensway, Bognor Regis Contact Number: 01243 587831
Alternatively, use the link below to search for a pharmacy near you. We do strongly advise contacting the pharmacy prior to embarking on your journey to see if they still offer this service and what their policy is regarding availability.
Your feedback on emergency contraception access is valuable to us. Please share it through the following link West Sussex County Council
Link: Find a Pharmacy near you
We hope this information is helpful and that you can find a nearby pharmacy that provides this service. Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01903 285199