You’ve in all probability heard of Plan B One Step, generally known as the morning-after tablet. It’s an emergency contraceptive that forestalls an egg from being fertilized. One frequent false impression is that it’s an abortion tablet. It isn’t (we get into that more below).
Plan B is definitely a model identify, so whereas it’s common to confer with your entire class as Plan B (like calling tissues Kleenex), different firms supply the identical kind of emergency contraceptive. Take Action, My Way, Option 2, Preventeza, AfterPill, My Choice, Aftera, and EContra are some of the brands you might even see at your pharmacy.
There are many causes somebody might determine to not have a child, none of that are anybody’s enterprise however their very own. The proper to bodily autonomy shouldn’t be up for debate, however now that we’ve been made conscious of the Supreme Court’s plan to overturn Roe v. Wade, it’s vital for everybody to teach themselves on the strategies out there to stop being pregnant.
What Does the Plan B Pill Do?
Plan B works by quickly delaying ovulation. As OB/GYN Dr. Kerry-Anne Perkins defined by way of electronic mail, Plan B incorporates levonorgestrel, which is an ingredient you’ll discover in lots of day by day contraception drugs (although it’s in the next dosage in Plan B). It quickly stops the discharge of an egg from the ovary, and subsequently stops that egg from being fertilized. “Essentially, Plan B is sort of in a race against your ovulation,” she says.
After unprotected intercourse—which may very well be the results of not utilizing adequate contraception, missed contraception drugs, or a damaged condom—sperm can reside contained in the physique for round 5 days. If you ovulate any time inside these 5 days, an egg is prone to being fertilized. You ought to take Plan B inside 72 hours of getting intercourse, however the sooner the higher. Despite Plan B’s repute because the “morning after” tablet, you do not have to, and should not, wait to take it.
Is Plan B the Abortion Pill?
No. Plan B works by stopping being pregnant; it doesn’t finish an present one. If you are taking Plan B after the egg has been fertilized, and even properly right into a confirmed being pregnant, it won’t terminate it. That is why it’s important that you simply take the tablet as quickly as doable after unprotected intercourse. If you’re looking for an abortion, whether or not by way of the medication used to take action or an in-clinic process, you have to see a physician.
“Probably the most common [misconception] is that Plan B will cause an abortion,” Perkins, who can also be on the medical evaluation board of Women’s Health Interactive, says. “It won’t. Plan B simply delays ovulation—which occurs before fertilization does. If ovulation is stopped, fertilization won’t take place and pregnancy won’t occur. If you are already pregnant, Plan B will not abort the pregnancy.”
How Effective Is It in Preventing Pregnancy?
According to Planned Parenthood, Plan B and its ilk have a 75 to 89 p.c likelihood of stopping a being pregnant. Perkins informed me that about one out of eight individuals who take Plan B should get pregnant.
How Do You Get Plan B?
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Plan B is out there with no prescription, and anybody of any age can buy it. You can discover it at CVS, Walgreens, Target, Rite Aid, and plenty of different grocery shops and pharmacies, together with on-line pharmacies like Wellspring Meds.
It sometimes prices round $50, however your native Planned Parenthood may supply it totally free or at a extra manageable worth.
Does It Expire?
Plan B lasts about 4 years—although each field ought to have an expiration date you may test. After that date, it turns into much less efficient.
It isn’t the worst thought to have one field round so you may take it instantly, however you don’t wish to stockpile it. “After the recent abortion news, it may be tempting to hoard mass amounts of Plan B,” says Dr. Jessica Shepherd, chief medical officer of Verywell Health and an OB/GYN. “But because they expire, stockpiling isn’t worth it. This can also lead to a shortage for others that need it as well.”
