Can birth control pills be used as “morning after pills” or as emergency contraception after a condom breaks? If so, how can I find out about appropriate quantities?

Actual birth control pills, sometimes called “morning after pills” (since you have to take them soon after unprotected sex), are more commonly known as emergency contraception (EC). Emergency contraception is just that-a birth control method for when all else fails.

There are specific brands of pills that can be used as EC, and specific quantities that need to be taken-and there are some side effects. There is a website from Princeton that details all of this information: www.not-2-late.com. HOWEVER, the pills have to be taken on a specific schedule and within a given timeframe. And you will have to discard the rest of your pill pack and buy a new one to replace it. This used to be the only option, but now there are much better ones with significantly fewer side effects.

The best thing to do if you find yourself in a situation where you need to use EC, is to go to Student Health and Counseling, even after hours, and get “Plan B.” Plan B was specifically created to be emergency contraception. It’s two pills with exactly the right amounts of hormones to help prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. Plan B may prevent pregnancy by temporarily stopping the release of an egg from a woman’s ovary, or it may prevent fertilization. It may also prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus. It will not work if you are already pregnant.

Timing is also really important. You really need to use EC as soon as possible after unprotected sex for it to work. Recent clinical data has shown that the sooner a woman takes EC, the more effective it is. It is really important if you decide to use EC, that you get started during the first 72 hours (three days). Recent research has found EC might be effective up to five days after unprotected sex, but since we know that the sooner it’s started, the better it works-it’s smart to not wait too long. Plan B is not 100% effective, and it is definitely not a good form of regular birth control. Plan B reduces the risk of pregnancy by 89% when taken correctly, but that still means that 11%, or approximately one out of 10 women, will get pregnant. Birth control pills and condoms, used correctly and consistently, are much more reliable at preventing pregnancy. Also, Plan B will not work if you are already pregnant. It cannot end a pregnancy. Studies have shown that it will not hurt a growing fetus either. And Plan B does not protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, so if you and your partner haven’t been tested, this is something else you should consider.

EC should not be confused with Mifeprex, also referred to as RU-486. EC and Mifeprex are completely different drugs. EC helps to prevent pregnancy, while Mifeprex terminates an early pregnancy. EC has been available to women for more than 25 years and it is a safe and effective backup in an emergency. If you know someone who thinks they may want to use it, encourage them to get more information about it (check out http://go2planb.com AND www.backupyourbirthcontrol.org) and let them know that it’s available on campus. There is also an automated, 24-hour-a-day, toll-free hotline (1-888-NOT-2-LATE or the Spanish mnemonic, 1-866-en-tres-dias). You can also get Plan B-or a prescription for the pills-from any physician and many other reproductive health care providers. Of course, you can always stop by my office for info or you can check with an RA-they were given information about Plan B during their training. If you are wondering about EC because you were sexually assaulted or raped, you may want to call an anonymous SARAH counselor (5-8080) or speak with one of the trained counselors at Student Health and Counseling (5-6695) as well.

Questions?

How many times have you had a question about your body or your health that you felt weird asking a friend or someone older? Especially when it’s about sex? Jill Ringold, who has her master’s degree in Public Health and is a certified health education specialist, is the health educator in the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness. And she’s here to help answer those questions that you really want to ask. If you want to submit a question, please send it to health@studlife.com.

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 26th, 2003 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Cadenza. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.