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I know some of you may have heard of the morning after pill (also called emergency contraception or EC) before and some of you may not know anything about it. My Aunt Lucia just gave me the low down on it and it’s something that everyone (girls AND guys) should know about. All the info you need about EC is below, but you can always call the Sexual Health Helpline at (877) MA-SEX-ED (877) 627-3933 with any questions you have or to find out where to get EC.

Emergency contraception (EC) is a type of birth control pill that can be used when a woman is worried about becoming pregnant after having unprotected sex. It is also called Plan B®, or the ‘morning after pill,’ because it works best if it is taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex. Some possible reasons to take EC are because:

The condom broke or slipped off
Birth control pills weren’t taken, the patch wasn’t put on, or the vaginal ring wasn’t put in
The diaphragm, cap or shield slipped out of place
The penis wasn’t pulled out in time
Birth control wasn’t used
Sex was forced

EC can be taken immediately after unprotected sex (sex when birth control wasn’t used) and up to five days after a pregnancy risk (when you’ve had unprotected sex and could become pregnant) but the sooner it is taken the more likely it is to work. To learn more about how to take EC, click here.

EC can be taken up to five days after a pregnancy risk, but the sooner it is taken, the better it works. A health care provider can give out a pack of EC pills to keep at home in case they are needed in an emergency.

EC is a totally safe birth control option if there is a risk for pregnancy, but it is best used as a back-up method in case regular birth control fails. To learn about other birth control methods, click here.

Like birth control pills, EC pills contain artificial hormones to prevent pregnancy. These hormones act like the chemicals a woman’s body naturally makes.
EC pills contain higher amounts of the same hormones found in regular birth control pills. EC can prevent pregnancy in a number of ways, depending on where a woman is in her monthly menstrual cycle, (or, how close she is to getting her period). Like birth control pills, EC pills may:

keep an egg from leaving the ovary
keep sperm from reaching the egg or
keep the fertilized egg (meaning the sperm has entered the egg) from attaching to the uterus

Click here to view a diagram
of internal female anatomy

EC pills are not the abortion pill and cannot cause an abortion. Emergency contraception contains hormones that prevent pregnancy from happening by stopping the egg and sperm from meeting and/or attaching to the uterus. EC cannot stop a fertilized egg from growing once it has attached and begun to grow in the uterus.

The abortion pill, also known as mifepristone or RU-486, is a very different medication that is used to stop a pregnancy from continuing once it has already begun to grow in the uterus.

Emergency Contraception does not cause an abortion. If a woman is already pregnant, it won’t harm her body or her pregnancy.

Taking EC will not work if a woman is already pregnant, and it will not affect a woman who is already pregnant. EC is completely harmless to a fertilized egg that has already attached to the uterus.

I know I used to be really confused about the difference between EC and the abortion pill. One of my friends told me it was the same thing, but she was wrong. Aunt Lucia helped me understand the difference. If you’re still confused, call a counselor on the Sexual Health Helpline at (877) MA-SEX-ED (877) 627-3933. They can answer any questions you have.

There are three types of emergency contraception which can help to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.

Plan B® progestin-only pills (progestin is an artificial hormone like the hormones a woman’s body naturally makes)
High doses of regular birth control pills
In some cases, an IUD can be used as emergency contraception

The most commonly used type of emergency contraception is the Plan B® pill. Plan B® can be bought at the pharmacy counter at drug stores by guys and girls 17 and over with valid I.D. (like your driver’s license or identification card). You just have to ask the pharmacist at the counter for Plan B®. If you are under 17, you can get Plan B® from a family planning clinic or your primary care provider. Click here for more info on how to get Plan B®.

It can also be prescribed for women of all ages by a doctor or other health care provider. It costs about $25-50, and may be available for free from family planning and health care clinics. I know the clinic my Aunt Lucia works at gives Plan B® out for free, and there are tons of other places that do that too.

Plan B® can be taken immediately after unprotected sex and up to five days after a pregnancy risk, but the sooner it is taken the more likely it is to work. There aren’t many side effects, and it’s easy and safe for almost everyone to use (how cool is that!).

Other methods of EC include regular birth control pills taken as EC and Intrauterine Devices (IUDs). Using one of these methods for EC may require a medical check-up first, unless the woman is already using regular birth control pills and has them at home. Not all women may be able to use an IUD or regular birth control pills for EC for medical reasons. A doctor can help decide which type of EC is best to use.

EC can be used up to 120 hours (5 days) from the time a pregnancy risk has occurred. But don't wait! The sooner EC is taken, the better it works.

The Plan B® method of emergency contraception is very effective. In fact, the sooner Plan B® is used, the more effective it is.

Taken within 24 hours (1 day) of unprotected sex, it is 95% effective at preventing pregnancy.
Taken within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex, it is 89% effective at preventing pregnancy.
Taken within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected sex, it is about 75% effective at preventing pregnancy.

Since taking Plan B® is time-sensitive, it’s a good idea to have the pills on you just in case. A health care provider can write a prescription in advance or provide a pack of EC pills to keep at home in case they are needed in an emergency. I keep a prescription in my purse just in case I need it.

A health care provider can give out pills ahead of time or give a pre-written prescription for EC.

Got more questions? Call the Sexual Health Helpline at (877) MA-SEX-ED (877) 627-3933. They can help you find out the fastest and cheapest way to get EC when it’s needed, as soon as possible. Or click here to find out where to get EC at a family planning provider near you.

Click here for a list of pharmacies where a specially trained pharmacist may be able to provide EC directly.

Not 2 Late
Offers accurate information and resources about emergency contraception and provides a searchable database of emergency contraceptive providers.
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EC Help
Offers information on emergency contraception and where to find a pharmacy that can carry EC in Massachusetts
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