Welfare Warriors

Winter 2006

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  Winter 2006

An Open Letter About Emergency Contraception

Preven had been on the market since 1998. Plan B was approved in 1999. These two forms of Emergency Contraception (EC) operate as a higher-dose version of the Pill--in two tablets.  Take the first dose within 72 hours after unprotected sex. The second pill is taken 12 hours later. 

EC is at least 75% effective in preventing an unwanted pregnancy after sex. It interrupts ovulation, fertilization, and implantation of the egg.

            If you are sexually active, or might be, you should have a dose of EC on hand.  It’s less anxiety-producing than waiting around to see if you miss your period. And it is much easier, cheaper and more pleasant than having to arrange for an abortion if you end up pregnant and don’t want to be.

Seven Things You Need to Know about Emergency Contraception

1.   EC is easy.  A woman takes a dose of EC within 72 hours of unprotected sex, followed by a second dose 12 hours later.

2.   EC is legal. 

3.   EC is safe.  It is FDA-approved and supported by the American College of Obstreticians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Women’s Association.

4.   EC is not an abortion.  The two pills you take are not RU-486, the abortion pill. (RU-486 can be taken up to nine weeks into a pregnancy.)  EC does not work if you are already pregnant and will not harm a developing fetus.  Anti-choicers who call EC “the abortion pill” or “chemical abortion” also believe birth control pills, IUDs and contraceptive injections are abortions.

5.   EC works.  It is 75% effective in preventing an unwanted pregnancy after sex, but before fertilization or implantation.  According to the FDA, EC pills “are not effective if the woman is pregnant. They act primarily by delaying or inhibiting ovulation. And/or they alter tubal transport of sperm and/or ova (thereby inhibiting fertilization). And/or they alter the endometrium (thereby inhibiting implantation).”

6.   EC has a long shelf life.  You can keep your EC on hand for two years, according to the FDA.

7.   EC is for women who use some type of birth control.  You should back up your birth control by keeping a dose of EC in your medicine cabinet or purse.

Birth Control Pills That Can be Used for EC in the US

You can also use a large dose of birth control pills in an emergency. If you can not get the EC soon enough, use any of the following  birth control pills within 72 hours of intercourse.

Trivora (4 pink tablets)

Alesse (5 pink tablets)

Levlite (5 pink tablets)

Nordette (4 light orange tablets)

Lo/Ovral (4 white tablets)

Levlen (4 light orange tablets)

Levora (4 white tablets)

Low-Ogestrel (4 white tablets)

Tri-Levlen (4 yellow tablets)

Triphasil (4 yellow tablets)

By Katha Pollitt and Jennifer Baumgardner