That kind of thing never happens but somehow it did last night. You don’t want to get pregnant (that's the whole point of birth control, right?) but a pit of dread fills your stomach. What can you do? Luckily there’s an option for these type of situations! It’s called emergency contraception. Here’s what you need to know…
- Emergency contraception (EC) is contraception that you can take to prevent pregnancy. EC is effective 3-5 days after unprotected sex, though it is best to take EC as soon as you can.
- There are a few different brands of EC. Planned Parenthood of Delaware offers Plan-B One Step and Next Choice.
- In the United States, any man or woman age 17 and older can get EC without a prescription. Women under the age of 17 will need to visit a health center and get a prescription. In both cases, you can get EC at Planned Parenthood.
- Some people may think that the morning-after pill is the same as the abortion pill. It is important to know that the morning-after pill is not an abortion pill. EC will prevent a pregnancy, but it will not end a pregnancy. If you are already pregnant when you take EC, it will not stop the pregnancy.
- EC is available at all Planned Parenthood of Delaware health center locations in Wilmington, Newark and Dover.
- EC does not protect against STIs, including HIV.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill-4363.asphttp://ec.princeton.edu/questions/index.html
