Emergency Contraception
What is emergency contraception?
What is it like to take it?
Where can I get it?
Emergency Contraception Links
What is emergency contraception?
Emergency Contraception (EC) is a hormonal contraceptive pill combination. The first dose is taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, and the second dose is taken 12 hours later.
Emergency contraception is not abortion. According to the FDA, "Emergency contraceptive pills are not effective if the woman is pregnant; they act by delaying or inhibiting ovulation, and/or altering tubal transport of sperm and/or ova (thereby inhibiting fertilization), and/or altering the endometrium (thereby inhibiting implantation)."
What is it like to take emergency contraception?
When you talk with a healthcare provider about obtaining a prescription for EC, you'll probably be asked when the unprotected intercourse occurred and you'll be offered information about other forms of contraception. The healthcare provider may also ask for the first day of your last period. Then they'll give you the pills to take when you are ready, making sure you know to take the second dose 12 hours after you take the first dose.
Side effects of emergency contraception vary from woman to woman and often depend on the kind of pill combination she takes. "Combination" doses that include both estrogen and progestin have relatively high incidences of side effects such as nausea (30-50%) or vomiting (15-25%), irregular bleeding, cramping, or headache. Often these medications are given along with an anti-nausea drug. If it is not given, you can buy anti-nausea medication and take it about an hour before you take the first dose of emergency contraception, to help prevent side effects.
Progestin-only contraception, such as the one offered at Planned Parenthood and the IU Health Center, has a much lower incidence of side effects - nausea 23% and vomiting 5%, and other side effects such as dizziness, headache, fatigue and cramping between 11-20%.
Side effects diminish quickly and disappear usually within a day or two. Women report a high level of satisfaction with the medication.
Where can I get emergency contraception?
Emergency contraceptive pills are available through the IU Health Center and Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood offers Plan B, a synthetic progestin-only pill taken in two doses of 1 pill each.
For IU students, the IU Health Center has made up their own emergency contraception kit. Each kit contains 2 uses of Plan B, a pregnancy test, condoms and a brochure on sexually transmitted diseases and safer sex. The IU Health Center pharmacy can also provide the estrogen/progestin option if preferred by a medical provider and patient which is 10 Lo-Ovral, 4 tablets. Call the health center for up-to-date pricing on the medication and cost of office visit with a Health Center doctor or nurse practitioner.
Some healthcare providers recommend that women who are sexually active obtain and fill a prescription for EC and keep it in their medicine cabinet at home, in case they need it in the future. Because EC is most effective when taken soon after unprotected intercourse, it may be more helpful - and available to you more immediately - if you have it on hand in your home, rather than having to visit a clinic at the time. If this idea appeals to you, you should discuss it with your healthcare provider.
Emergency Contraception Links
IU Health Center's Emergency Contraception Information
Planned Parenthood's Emergency Contraception Information
Plan B, the emergency contraception offered at the IU Health Center and Bloomington's Planned Parenthood
