BookOfChoices.org - NEW YORK STATE RESOURCES FOR UNPLANNED PREGNANCY

PREVENTING PREGNANCY

AN UNPLANNED PREGNANCY: YOUR CHOICES

ENDING A PREGNANCY: ABORTION CARE

CHOOSING ADOPTION

BECOMING A PARENT

PAYING FOR YOUR CARE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

** Where to Get Emergency Contraception (EC or the morning after pill) **

• Paying for Your Care
• Already Pregnant? Your Choices

SOON AFTER UNPROTECTED SEX
YOU CAN STILL PREVENT PREGNANCY

If you (very) recently had unprotected sex or your birth control method failed, you should strongly consider taking emergency contraception if you want to prevent a pregnancy.

Emergency Contraception – or EC for short – is a back-up method of birth control. EC is also known as the "morning after pill." EC pills are sold under the brand names Plan B® One-Step and Next Choice™.

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EC is a safe and effective way to help prevent pregnancy AFTER unprotected sex or birth control failure.

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EC, when used within 5 days of unprotected sex, can significantly reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy.

•	Women and men 17 years old and over can now buy Plan B® One-Step and Next Choice™ over the counter at a pharmacy without a prescription. Young women 16 years old and under still need to get a prescription from their doctor or other healthcare provider in order to buy EC at the pharmacy.
•	EC is a higher dosage of the same hormones found in birth control pills. EC is a safe method of pregnancy prevention, even for women who have been advised not to take birth control pills on an ongoing basis.

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EC is NOT the same thing as the abortion pill (Mifeprex or RU-486). EC will not terminate an existing pregnancy. EC will not work if a woman is already pregnant.

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EC is less effective than regular birth control, like condoms or birth control pills, that is used before or during sex so you should not use EC as your regular form of birth control.

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EC doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections like HIV/AIDS so you should use condoms every time you have sex.

ACT QUICKLY!

EC is effective up to five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex but is most effective within 3 days. The sooner you take EC, the more effective it is, so don’t wait! Take EC as soon as you can after unprotected sex or birth control failure.

WHERE CAN I GET EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION (EC)?

Women and men 17 years old and over can now buy Emergency Contraception (sold under the brand names Plan B® One-Step and Next Choice™ ) over the counter at a pharmacy without a prescription. Young women 16 years old and under still need to get a prescription from their doctor or other healthcare provider in order to buy EC at the pharmacy. Click here for information on how to access EC.

WHEN SHOULD EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION BE USED?

You had sex, you don’t want to get pregnant and:

•	You didn’t use birth control.
•	The condom broke or slipped off.
•	You missed taking two or more birth control pills or you are two or more days late starting your pack.
•	You were late for your Depo-Provera® shot, new Ortho Evra® Patch, or new NuvaRing®.
•	Your partner did not pull out in time.
•	You were raped.

TYPES OF EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION

There are different kinds of EC: Plan B® One-Step, Next Choice™, and taking higher doses of regular oral contraceptives (birth control pills).

The different kinds of EC are all effective when used within 120 hours after unprotected sex.

Depending upon what form of emergency contraception is used and when it is used during the menstrual cycle, EC works by interrupting ovulation. Emergency contraception does not cause an abortion, which is the termination of an existing pregnancy. Medically, a woman is pregnant only after a fertilized egg has already implanted in her uterus. Emergency contraception prevents ovulation and fertilization, so it prevents pregnancy from occurring.

Remember, EC will not work if you are already pregnant and it will not harm a pregnancy or a fetus.

Emergency Contraception Pills
Plan B® One-Step and Next Choice™ are both available at your local pharmacy without a prescription for adults 17 and older. Young women 16 years old and under still need to get a prescription from their doctor or other healthcare provider in order to buy EC at the pharmacy.

Next Choice™ packets include a course of treatment with two tablets, each containing 0.75 mg levonorgestrel. According to FDA-approved labeling, the first tablet should be taken as soon as possible within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected intercourse. The second tablet must be taken 12 hours later. New research shows that one ‘double dose’ (1.5mg) is as effective as two doses taken 12 hours apart.

The Plan B® One-Step tablet contains a single 1.5 mg levonorgestrel dose and should be taken as soon as possible within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected intercourse.

When used as soon as possible after unprotected sex or birth control failure, Plan B® One-Step and Next Choice™ Emergency Contraception can reduce the risk of pregnancy by up to 89%.

The earlier EC pills are taken after unprotected sex, the more effective they are at preventing pregnancy. Data shows that EC can still reduce the risk of pregnancy when taken 4 or 5 days (up to 120 hours) after unprotected sex or birth control failure, but EC is most effective if taken within the first 3 days (72 hours) after unprotected sex or birth control failure. Plan B® One-Step and Next Choice™ only contain progestin and can be used by women who have been advised by their doctor not to use any medication with estrogen. These medications are all safe for breastfeeding moms.

Using Oral Contraceptives (Birth Control Pills) for Emergency Contraception
Some brands of oral contraceptives can be used as emergency contraception
when two doses of the pills are taken 12 hours apart. The number of pills per dose varies depending on the brand of pill used. Check www.not-2-late.com for a complete list of brands and the doses that have been approved for use as emergency contraception. When used as soon as possible after unprotected sex or birth control failure, using oral contraceptives as Emergency Contraception can reduce the risk of pregnancy by up to 75%.

The earlier EC pills are taken after unprotected sex, the more effective they are at preventing pregnancy. Using regular oral contraceptives as emergency contraception instead of Plan B® One-Step or Next Choice™ may cause slightly more side effects such as nausea or vomiting, although you can ask your doctor for medicine to prevent nausea. Women who cannot use oral contraceptives as their regular form of birth control can still use them as emergency contraception.

AFTER USING EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION

•	You may experience nausea or vomiting but this usually only lasts 1-2 days.
•	Your next period may be earlier or later than usual.
•	Your menstrual flow may be lighter, heavier, or more spotty than usual.
•	Before you get your next period, tell any healthcare provider that you see that you have taken emergency contraception.
•	If your period is late by one week or more or if you have symptoms of pregnancy, you should take a pregnancy test because you may be pregnant.
•	If you have vaginal intercourse any time before you have your next period, you should use another form of contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION IS NOT THE ABORTION PILL!

Emergency contraception is not the abortion pill (which is also known as RU-486 or Mifeprex). Emergency contraception does not cause an abortion. Emergency contraception will not work if you are already pregnant and will not harm a pregnancy or the fetus.

BE PREPARED!

If you are sexually active and don’t want to get pregnant, you may want to consider keeping a pack of Emergency Contraception at home so you’ll be ready in case you need EC in an emergency.

PROTECT YOURSELF!

If you had unprotected sex or your contraceptive method failed, it is important to get tested for sexually transmitted infections, too. You can get tested at your doctor’s office or at a county health department, STI clinic, or family planning clinic.

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