Emergency Contraceptive / Plan B / Morning After-Pill
Where can someone get the morning-after pill?
How does it work?
How do you use it?
What are the disatvantages?
If you have unprotected sex or the condom breaks or slips off, you can still prevent pregnancy by using Plan B, also known as the morning after pill or the emergency contraceptive pill. (There is more than one kind of pill used for emergency contraception, but they all work in a similar way to prevent pregnancy.)
Plan B can be used to prevent pregnancy if used within 5 days - with increased effectiveness the sooner you take it:
- after vaginal intercourse where no birth control method is used
- if birth control fails (i.e. a broken condom)
- after a woman is raped
Where can someone get the morning-after pill?
- If you need information on where to get the morning-after pill, call the following hotline: 1-888-668-2528. This number provides information on how the pill works, as well as names and phone numbers where you can get it.
- You can get the pill at youth clinics, Options for Sexual Health clinics, pharmacies and some doctors' offices.
How much does the morning after-pill cost?
Often it is provided free of charge. Some places might charge approximately $10.
How does it work?
- The pill contains a high dose of hormones, the same hormones used in the birth control pill.
- The hormones may keep the woman’s ovaries from releasing an egg or stop the egg from implanting in the uterus. Hormones work in a number of ways, and depend on where a woman is in her menstrual cycle.
How effective is it?
It is an excellent form of birth control if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
How do you use it?
- Timing is important!
- Take the morning after pill as soon as possible after having unprotected sex.
- Take one dose immediately and another dose 12 hours later. Or you may also take both doses at once. Consult the Pharmacist or doctor.
Who should use it?
This method is used to prevent pregnancy only in an emergency. It should not take the place of a regular birth control method such as ordinary contraceptive pills or condoms.
Who shouldn't use it?
A woman should talk to a doctor or nurse before she uses the morning after pill, especially if she has ever had:
- breast cancer
- stroke or blood clots
- any reason to think that a large dose of hormones might give her health problems
What are the disadvantages?
- It may cause nausea and vomiting. (You may need to take an anti-nausea drug). There is a new emergency contraceptive pill does not have this side effect.
- It may cause a temporary change in the menstrual cycle. (The next period should begin in 2-3 weeks. If your period does not start in 3 weeks, see a doctor or nurse for a pregnancy test.)
- It does not protect against STIs/HIV.
- It is not a long-term birth control method
- it does not prevent future pregnancies.
Hormonal Contraceptives
Barrier Methods & Spermicide
Natural Methods
Contraceptives page
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