Morning After Pill (Plan B)
The most common brand of morning-after pill sold in the United States is called Plan B®. It is reported to work within 72 hours after sex and can lower your chance of pregnancy by up to 89%.
There are things you should consider before you take this drug. Although it is advertised as safe and effective, it is good to know all the facts before you take it. Your body and your health are important. Call us at 386-822-9797 for more information.
Plan B® is an extremely high dosage of chemical hormones. It contains the same chemical hormones found in some types of birth control.
Plus, you may not even need it. You can only get pregnant on certain days of the month – around the time that you ovulate. Women who are considering Plan B® do not always know where they are in their cycle or if they are fertile, so they rush to spend money on a drug that they don’t need and that may harm their bodies. Typically, there are only about three to five days a month in which a woman can get pregnant. Take the time to evaluate your situation. If you weren’t fertile when you had sex because you were nowhere near ovulation, it is senseless to take the drug. It will only subject you to the possible side effects of nausea and vomiting and put unnecessary hormones in your body.
Another major problem concerning Plan B® is the effect it could have if you are already pregnant. A woman may have unprotected sex with her partner and rush to get the morning-after pill; however, when she takes Plan B® she may be pregnant from a previous time she had sex. Women who have a known or suspected pregnancy should not take the pills, according to the manufacturers of Plan B®. Have you taken a pregnancy test? If not, you can have a free test at our center to assure you are not already pregnant. Also, there are consultants available 24/7 to talk to you at 1-800-395-HELP.
Know the Risks Associated with the Morning-After Pill
Plan B® is a relatively new drug, and a there has not been much testing on its effect on the body. Some of the commonly reported side effects are nausea, abdominal pain, tiredness, headache, menstrual changes, dizziness, breast tenderness, and vomiting. After taking Plan B® it is not uncommon to have an irregular period. This could mean heavier bleeding, lighter bleeding, or a delayed period. It can take time before your body will go back to normal and stabilize itself.
Women who have diabetes should be monitored while taking Plan B, and women with pelvic inflammatory disease should not take Plan B, except under a physician’s careful monitoring. Unfortunately, many women don’t know if they have diabetes and/or don’t know if they have pelvic inflammatory disease.
After taking Plan B® there is also an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that is occurring anywhere outside of the uterus. The most common type of ectopic pregnancy is sometimes referred to as a tubal pregnancy because it is one that is occurring in the woman’s fallopian tube. If this goes unnoticed, a woman could be at serious risk. Even a small delay in diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy can be fatal.
Plan B® does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases. It is generally recommended that any sexually active woman seek testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
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