Emergency Contraception: What You Need to Know

By Ben Cogswell, 16, Staff Writer

Originally Published: Jan 7, 2005

Revised: Apr 27, 2009

Seventeen-year-old Tara had unprotected sex with her boyfriend "without really thinking," she says.

Plan B: a brand of
emergency contraception

"I talked to my friend about it and told her the whole story," says Tara, who lives in Ontario, Canada. "She convinced me that I had no other choice but to get the emergency contraception pills."

So she did, avoiding a possible unplanned pregnancy.

Let's face it. We sometimes do risky things in the heat of the moment. Or, even if we're careful, our birth control can fail. Even worse, some girls are sexually assaulted and need to prevent pregnancy after the fact.

What is emergency contraception?

Emergency contraception (EC) is a type of birth control that gives girls another chance to avoid pregnancy.

Emergency contraception comes in the form of pills (commonly known as the "morning-after pill," even though you can take it up to five days after). The pills are sold under the brand name Plan B.

EC pills are basically high dosages of the birth control pill. They do not cause an abortion. They work by preventing ovulation (an egg being released from the ovary), fertilization (the egg and the sperm coming together), or by preventing the fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus, and so they prevent pregnancy.

EC will not work if you are already pregnant, and it does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Although studies show that emergency contraception can be taken up to five days after intercourse, the sooner you use it, the better your chances of not getting pregnant. That means if you take the pills within one day of unprotected intercourse, there will be a better chance of avoiding pregnancy than if you wait until after the fourth day.

What Are the Side Effects?

Some girls experience side effects when they take EC pills. The most common are abdominal pain, fatigue, irregular bleeding, headaches, and breast tenderness. Like most medications, though, reactions vary from person to person. Tara says she "ended up vomiting for a good two hours," while Amy, 18, of Boulder, CO, experienced no side effects at all.

How Do I Get It?

"The process of getting EC was pretty easy, actually," Tara says.

This is usually true. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the over-the-counter sale of Plan B to women and men 17 and older. EC can also be purchased over-the-counter by people of all ages at some pharmacies in California, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

In other states, you can get EC by going to a clinic or by contacting your doctor for a prescription. Clinics are located in every state in the country. To find a clinic near you, go to www.not-2-late.com.

Going to a clinic is just like a regular visit to the doctor, only you do not need your parents' permission. First, you'll fill out some paperwork and then wait to see a health care provider. He or she will ask you a few questions about what happened and why you are there.

The health care provider will usually either supply you with the pills or write a prescription so you can obtain them. Also, you can get a prescription for EC before an emergency happens, so you'll have them on hand, just in case. Emergency contraception is inexpensive. Plan B usually costs between $10 and $45. Most clinics will charge only what you can afford to pay and some health insurance companies will cover the cost.

You may also need to pay for a clinic visit, too, but this may also be what you can afford to pay (i.e., a sliding-scale fee). Make sure you ask the clinic about cost before you go.

Can You Use EC as Birth Control?

Emergency contraception is not a method of birth control; it is for emergencies only.

The best way to avoid pregnancy and STDs is to abstain from all sex—oral, vaginal, and anal. If you decide to have vaginal intercourse, you should use both a condom and a hormonal form of birth control (like the Pill) to protect against pregnancy and most STDs.

Plus, Plan B is only 89-percent effective when taken within three days. Birth control pills are 89- to 99-percent effective when taken regularly and correctly.

"Take precautions while you're having sex, and if something happens, then go get EC," Tara says. "Don't use EC as an excuse [not to use birth control]. Take it only if you absolutely need it."

Your Comments

RE: Late period from Plan B & Plan B, negative test

Posted by: DanR on Jan 5th, 2009 9:26pm

EC is like a high dosage of birth control. Birth control is
a dosage of hormones that tells your body not to ovulate, so
it is possible that after taking EC your period may come a
little later than normal. Side effects of EC will vary from
person to person. If you are a week or two late, then you
may want to consider taking another pregnancy test.
Remember that EC (or any form of birth control) is not 100%
effective and does not protect against STDs.

Plan B, negative test

Posted by: mzizprecious on Dec 27th, 2008 12:08am

My period is now 2 days late. I had unprotected sex 2 weeks
ago, pretty sure one of my fertile days so I took a morning
after pill the day after. I took a pregnancy test the day my
period was due and the day after and both came out negative.
My breasts has been sore since I took the morning after pill
during the time of ovulation.

Late period from Plan B

Posted by: mzizprecious on Dec 26th, 2008 6:41pm

I was wondering if it was normal to have a late period after
taking plan b, if so what is causing the period to be late?

RE: Plan B

Posted by: DanR on Dec 25th, 2008 7:45pm

Plan B is not a form of birth control, and should never be
used a form of birth control. It is for emergency purposes
only. They work by preventing ovulation (an egg being
released from the ovary), fertilization (the egg and the
sperm coming together), or by preventing the fertilized egg
from attaching to the uterus, and so they prevent pregnancy.
They do not stop ovulation all together. I hope that
clears things up.

RE: Morning after pill, Late period, Negative test

Posted by: DanR on Dec 25th, 2008 7:17pm

It sounds like you are really stressed, so I would first try
to relax. A lot of stress can cause your period to come
late. If the guy did not ejaculate when you had unprotected
sex, then there is very little (if any) chance that you are
pregnant. I would suggest that you think about get tested
for STDs since you can be at risk after having unprotected
sex. If you need to find info on a local clinic, check out
our Get Tested page.

Plan B

Posted by: mzizprecious on Dec 25th, 2008 12:04pm

Does the morning after pill, Progestin only Plan B sop the
ovulation or delays the ovulation until a later date ? thank
you:)

Morning after pill, Late period, Negative test

Posted by: mzizprecious on Dec 23rd, 2008 12:32pm

I took a morning after pill about 2 weeks ago around the
time of ovulation. My period was due yesterday but it never
showed up. I decided to take a pregnancy test last night and
it was negative. Is my period on its way? Did the morning
after pill cause my period to be late? Also, a few days
ago I had unprotected sex but he did not ejaculate. But I am
sure I've already ovulated about 1.5 weeks ago.

RE: curious

Posted by: DanR on Aug 26th, 2008 1:44pm

Yes, you can take Plan B during your period, and the side
effects would pretty much be the same as taking it at any
other point during your cycle. If you have any other
questions about Plan B you can check out their frequently
asked questions (FAQ's) at:
http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/index.html. If you can
not find the answer there, you can e-mail James directly
through the link on the bottom of the page to get further
information.

curious

Posted by: busta on Aug 23rd, 2008 2:35pm

can you take plan b during your period?? are there any risks
involved?

RE: Plan B side effects fi possoble already pregnant?

Posted by: DanR on Jun 16th, 2008 12:40pm

As you probably saw above, the side effects vary for women
who have taken Plan B, and some do report having these
strong PMS feelings like you describe. So for you, that may
be normal. Also, if it actually is PMS, it means your
period is on its way, so you would not be pregnant. Try not
to stress, because that can slow down (and sometimes even
temporarily stop) your period. Wait and see if it comes, if
not, you will need to get a pregnancy test and see your
health care provider.