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What is emergency contraception?
Q from a Female, First Year student from Boston
University wants to know.... What is emergency
contraception and is it pretty easy to buy?
Dr. Caron's Response: Emergency
contraception is commonly sold under the name Plan
B. It is a method of birth control one uses after
unprotected intercourse (hence, the nickname "The
After Sex Pill"). It is sold as two white pills
with instructions to take one as soon as possible
and the other 12 hours later - however, new
research says you should take both pills together
as soon as you get the prescription. Emergency
contraception should not be confused with another
drug that became available in the U.S. around the
same time: RU-486 is commonly referred to as the
"abortion pill" and is used once a woman discovers
she is pregnant. Instead, emergency contraception
is taken before one is pregnant - it prevents
ovulation, fertilization and implantation - and
therefore the woman never becomes pregnant. For a
long time, emergency contraception was known as
"America's best kept secret" - it is a repackaging
of the birth control pills we all are familiar with
- simply given in higher doses. It has been!
used in hospital emergency rooms for decades -
most commonly given to rape survivors to prevent a
pregnancy. We have known about it for year's - but
avoided giving the information out to the general
public until now. Meanwhile, it has been used
widely for years and years in other countries. For
example, The Netherlands has claimed it has reduced
90% of unplanned pregnancies.
Although it is commonly known as "the morning
after pill," this is an inaccurate description of
its use. It can actually be taken up to five days
after unprotected intercourse, although most
instructions will say to use it within 72 hours (3
days) of the unprotected sex. It is most effective
when used as soon after unprotected sex as
possible.
Emergency contraception is available
over-the-counter by talking to a pharmacist in six
states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, New
Mexico, and Washington State) and plans are
underway to make it available over-the-counter
nationally. Right now one can get it through most
family plannings, Planned Parenthoods, and college
health centers. You can also call 1-800-887-4029 to
talk with a trained medical provider who can fax in
a prescription to your local pharmacy. Probably the
best website on emergency contraception is
Not-2-Late.com ( http://ec.princeton.edu/ ). It
offers the latest news and political discussions,
it also allows you to search for the nearest
provider by entering either your zip code, area
code, or town. There is also an on-line service at
http://www.getthepill.com/ which will take your
request for emergency contraception and fax a
prescription to your local pharmacy if it is deemed
appropriate. The cost is $24.95 for this
service.
Lots of people find themselves in situations
where they might need emergency contraception -
either because the birth control method they used
failed (e.g., the condom slipped or broke) or there
was no contraception used. By making emergency
contraception widely available, we will be able to
reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies, and in
turn reduce the number of abortions in this
country. Let's hope politics does not get in the
way of good health practice.
© 2009, Sandra L.
Caron
* * *
It is not sex that gives the pleasure, but the
lover. - Marge Piercy
American teens have the worst of all
worlds...Our children are bombarded and confronted
with sexual messages, sexual exploitation, and all
manner of sexual criticism. But our society is by
and large sexually illiterate. Faye Westheimer
Dr. Sandra L.
Caron is a professor of human sexuality at the
University of Maine. To submit a question to Dr.
Caron or chat with your peers visit
www.CollegeSexTalk.com
Got a question for Dr. Caron? Visit
www.collegesextalk.com/questions.htm
and ask away! Get a guaranteed personal and
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