Plan B: Information and when to Take This Emergency Contraceptive

First of all, Plan B is available with or without a prescription in the United States (contrary to what some misinformed web sites may state) as long as the person requesting it is at least eighteen years of age, and as long as the person it is being used on is also above the age of majority (eighteen in many states). Simply walk up to the pharmacist at any drug store such as CVS or Rite-Aid and ask for the morning after pill. You need say no more; the pharmacist will ask if you are at least eighteen, and as long as you say yes, you will be sold the pill. It isn't "embarrassing" or "uncomfortable" as you may think -- if you want to prevent a pregnancy after unprotected sex, it is the adult and responsible thing to do. If you are worried about appearing "naive" in front of your pharmacist, simply drive to a pharmacy that you do not regularly go to. There are normally a wide variety of pharmacies in most cities and townships.

Plan B is not an "abortion pill" -- it is simply an emergency contraceptive to be used if your regular birth control method (such as condom use) has failed you, or if you have engaged in unprotected sex and wish to lower your chances of becoming pregnant. It is important to note that Plan B will NOT abort an existing pregnancy; all it does is lessen the chances of an egg becoming fertilized in the first place.

Plan B is typically referred to as the "morning after pill", although this is something of a misnomer, because Plan B can be taken up to 72 hours after the unprotected sex occurs. (Of course, the sooner you take Plan B, the better your chances of not becoming pregnant.)

How much does it cost and how does dosing work? Plan B costs between $10 to $50; friends who have had to use Plan B tell me they paid $49.99. Expensive, but not bad considering the eventual cost of an unwanted pregnancy (a child can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise properly). Plan B contains two pills; one is taken as soon after unprotected sex as possible, and the second pill is taken 12 hours after the first. (So, if you take your first pill at 9AM the day after unprotected sex, the second dose should be taken at around 9PM).

In essence, Plan B is an extremely high-dose birth control pill. In other words, it uses hormones to lower the odds of pregnancy occurring. As such, it is safe for most people, but is not to be used regularly. Instead, look to more trustworthy birth control methods such as condom use and regular birth control pills. Plan B is marketed as an "emergency only" solution, but it is certainly easy to obtain, and should not cause damage if taken properly.

It is intriguing how much misinformation is out there about Plan B, especially online. Remember that Plan B is not an "abortion pill" -- if you are already pregnant, Plan B will not change this. Also, Plan B is not difficult to obtain. Any pharmacy will have it in stock, and generally you don't have to wait for it (they will let you check out immediately). Many university pharmacies should have it as well. As discussed earlier in this article, the other myth about Plan B is that it can only be taken "the morning after". In reality, you have up to 72 hours, although your odds of not becoming pregnant are highest if taken swiftly after intercourse.

Finally, how effective is it? According to the Plan B manufacturer's web site, approximately 7 out of 8 women who would have otherwise become pregnant, do not get pregnant with timely use of Plan B. The rate of effectiveness declines the longer you wait to take Plan B after unprotected intercourse; after 72 to 120 hours, it is believed that Plan B is no longer statistically effective at all.

Also, it is worth noting that Plan B does not protect you against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, so use it only if condom use has failed (e.g. a broken or slipped condom).