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Is Plan B, your plan b?
Posted By: | June 1, 2022
I had sex last night...should I take “Plan B”?
Good question, right? Sometimes things don’t go as planned. And, while most of us like to plan for big life events – we sometimes need back up plans, a plan b – or even a plan c, d, or e.
No, we aren’t trying to insult your intelligence by going back to the basics, but
the truth is that anytime a guy and girl have sex, pregnancy can happen.
And, it’s easy in our culture today to believe, “I’ll just take this pill and I'll be safe and protected.” Despite our best intentions, things don’t always go as planned - this can include situations like a broken condom, forgetting to take birth control pills or replace a birth control ring, and unfortunately sexual assault. If your plan b is Plan B, do you know all the facts?
What do you know about Emergency Contraception/ “Plan B”/ “Morning After Pill”?
- Emergency contraception is a method of birth control designed to be used after unprotected sex or if a regular birth control method did not work correctly.
- Even though emergency contraception is sometimes called the “morning after” pill - it is designed to be used as soon as possible after unprotected sex – to prevent ovulation and/or pregnancy.
- Emergency contraception medications are different from the abortion pill . These contraceptives are not expected to stop an established pregnancy, but are instead used in an effort to prevent pregnancy. Emergency use contraceptives come in two forms – hormone-based pills and copper bearing IUDs. Both methods have about 75% effectiveness in preventing pregnancy when taken correctly.
What else should I know about EC?
- Some emergency-use contraceptives are available over the counter, some require a prescription.
- Emergency contraception should not be used on a regular basis to prevent pregnancy.
- It is a good idea to consider side effects of any medication before use.
We would encourage any woman considering taking medications to consult her healthcare provider to ask questions and determine the right follow-up steps to best protect her health. If you have questions, our medical team at Parkridge is a great resource.
The other truth to remember is that any birth control method can fail,
and sometimes things are out of our control.
- About 24 out of 100 women become pregnant using natural planning method.
- Annually, about 18 out of 100 women become pregnant because of a broken or incorrectly used condom.
- On average, hormonal birth control pills, vaginal rings, and birth control patches fail about 10% of the time.
- IUDs and birth control rod implants fail less than 1% of the time, statistically.
- While some birth control methods have higher effectiveness than others, the only “for sure” way to not get pregnant when you don’t want to, is to not have sex.
**It is also wise to keep in mind that most methods of regular birth control and emergency contraceptives do not lower, lessen or decrease the chance of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Click here for more info about STD testing.
So, if you had unprotected sex or believe your regular birth control may have failed, we would encourage you to fact check your info on emergency contraception, abortion pills, etc. Take control of your health and talk to a medical provider that you trust. You deserve to be healthy and make informed decisions regarding your sexual health. Parkridge would love to be on your team as you navigate life and relationships.
We hope the information included here is helpful, and is received in conjunction with other medical and mental health information. This blog post is not intended to replace information directly received from a medical provider. Our services include pregnancy testing, confirmation ultrasound, options education, STD testing and treatment, professional counseling and support after abortion. Parkridge offers free counseling on a variety of issues including relationships, sex, and abortion. All services are always free of charge, confidential, and delivered by licensed professionals. Schedule an appointment today – click here, or call 806.794.8555.
Links
https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/emergency-contraception
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/emergency-contraception
https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/use-emergency-contraception-united-states
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/mmwr/mec/appendixf.html
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