| Emergency Contraception Pills (Plan B®) |
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Frequently
Asked Questions
How
effective are they?
How
are they taken?
What
are the side effects?
Are
there any contraindications?
How
do I get emergency contraception pills?
My
partner is not a Hopkins student. Where can she get emergency
contraception?
Can
I use this as regular birth control?
What
are the costs?
Where
can I get more information?
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If
you have recently had unprotected intercourse and want to decrease
your chances of getting pregnant, then you may want to consider emergency contraception
pills (also known as "morning-after pills").
Emergency contraception pills alter a
women's menstrual cycle. Although the exact mechanism is not
known, it is thought that the pills may prevent
pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation, hindering fertilization, and
altering the lining of the uterus.
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The pills can be taken up to 120 hours
after unprotected intercourse. However, we do not encourage you to
wait this long. The sooner they are taken,
the better your chances of preventing pregnancy. |
The
brand of emergency contraception pills which we carry at the Student
Health and Wellness Center is called "Plan B ®".
"Plan B®" consists of two
pills, each containing 0.75 mg of levonorgestrel.
Emergency
contraception pills are not the same thing as RU486 or
"medical abortion".
| If you think you need emergency contraception, call the SHWC at 410-516-8270 to set up an appointment.
If you are 18 or older, you can get Plan B at a drugstore without a prescription. The Rite Aid Pharmacy at the Rotunda is open 24 hours/day, 7 days a week (410-467-3343). If you are a Hopkins student and under 18 years of age and need Plan B when the SHWC is closed, call the on-call physician through campus security: 410-516-7777. He/she can call in a prescription for you to a local pharmacy. Or you can contact Planned Parenthood 24/7 at 1-877-99-Go-4-EC.
If you have any questions about whether you should take Plan B or how to take it - and the Health Center is closed - you may reach the on-call physician by calling Campus Security: (410)-516-7777, or you can contact Planned Parenthood 24/7 at 1-877-99-Go-4-EC, or go to: http://ec.princeton.edu/
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How
effective is Plan B®? |
The
brand of emergency contraception pills which we carry at the Student
Health and Wellness Center is called "Plan B ®".
With
the correct use of Plan B®, the risk of pregnancy is
believed to be reduced approximately 89%. If used within the first 24
hours, Plan B® reportedly prevents 95% of pregnancies.
If
your period does not arrive within four weeks of taking Plan B®, a
pregnancy test is advisable. You can get this done free of charge at
the Student Health and Wellness Center.
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Plan
B® is simple to take. It contains two pills. The FDA approved package insert instructs you to take one pill immediately and one pill 12 hours later. New research shows that you can take both pills at once without loss of efficacy or greater side effects.
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What
are the side effects? |
Plan
B® is generally well tolerated.
The
biggest side effect is nausea. Other side effects include abdominal
discomfort, fatigue, headache, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, and
breast tenderness.
There may be an alteration in your periods. Your
next period may be heavier or lighter in flow. It may also arrive
earlier or later than expected.
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|
Are
there any contraindications to taking emergency contraception
pills? |
Women
who are pregnant should not take emergency contraception pills. The pills will
be ineffective. (Current data indicate that emergency contraception pills taken inadvertently while
pregnant cause no harm to the fetus.)
Emergency
contraception pills are generally not recommended for individuals with
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| How do I
get emergency contraception? |
Students
at the Johns Hopkins University can get emergency contraception at the
Health and Wellness Center. Simply call (410) 516-8270 and make an
appointment. We will try to give you the next available appointment for
the same day if possible.
Plan B is now available over the counter (no prescription needed) for women 18 and older. The Rite Aid at the Rotunda carries Plan B and is open 24 hours per day (410-476-3343). Because the FDA restricts sales of Plan B to women 18 and older, it is kept behind the counter. You will need to go to the pharmacy window and ask for Plan B. Make sure you have some form of identification in case you are asked to prove your age.
If you are a Hopkins student under 18 years of age, call the on-call physician (410-516-7777) and he/she can call in a prescription to a local pharmacy. Women under 18 can get Plan B as long as they have a prescription.
The cost of Plan B at Rite Aid (and other pharmacies) is about $40-50.
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|
Can
I use it as regular birth control? |
No! Emergency
contraception pills are only intended for emergencies. They are not as effective as regular
birth control pills, and they do not protect against sexually
transmitted infections. Please
speak with your health care provider if you are interested in more
effective forms of birth control.
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Prices
vary depending upon where you obtain the emergency contraceptive
pills.
At
the Student Health and Wellness Center, they cost $22*. Students who have the
Johns Hopkins University Health Insurance plan pay only $8* if
obtained from the Student Health and Wellness Center.
We
accept cash, check, credit cards, Jcard, or you can bill your student account.
Drugstores typically charge $40-50 for one package of Plan B.
*Last
updated
07/24/2007
. Prices subject to change.
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| Where can I get
more information about emergency contraception? |
Plan
B Information
on Plan B® is available at www.go2planb.com http://ec.princeton.edu/ Website
on emergency contraception provided by Princeton University's Office of
Population Research and the Association of Reproductive Health
Professionals
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| My
partner is not a Hopkins student. Where can she get emergency
contraception? |
Plan B is now available over the counter (no prescription needed). The Rite Aid at the Rotunda carries Plan B and is open 24 hours per day. Because FDA restricts the sales of Plan to women 18 and older, it is kept behind the counter. You will need to go to the pharmacy window and ask for Plan B. Make sure you have some form of identification in case you are asked to prove your age. The cost of Plan B at Rite Aid (and other pharmacies is about $40-50.
If she has questions about whether or how to take Plan B, she can call Planned Parenthood of Maryland at 1-877-99-Go4EC. The line is stagged 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. You can also get up-to-date information and advice at http://ec.princeton.edu/
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References: Emergency
Contraception. American College of Gynecology Practice Bulletin No. 25
March 2001.
Grimes
D, Raymond E. Emergency Contraception. Annals of Internal Medicine.
2002;137:180-189.
LaValleur
J. Emergency Contraception. Obstet Gynec Clinics of North America Dec
2000; 27(4):817-29.
Potter
LS, Trussell J, Rarick L. Emergency
Post-coital Contraception. New England Journal of Medicine 1997;
337(15):1038-1064. Task
Force on Postovulatory Methods of Fertility Regulation: Randomized
control trial of Levonorgestrel versus the Yuzpe regimen of combined
oral contraceptives for emergency contraception. Lancet 1998 Aug 8;352
(9126) 428-33. Back
to top
Disclaimer
last
updated
11/29/2006
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