Morning After Pill (Plan B)
Morning After Pill (Plan B)
Before taking the Morning After Pill, you should understand what it is, what it could mean to your health and how it works. Although we do not provide the Morning After Pill, call for an appointment and one of our medical staff will be happy to discuss it with you, confirm if you're pregnant and advise you on your options.
The "morning after pill" is a large dose of oral contraceptive. Known as Plan B, the pill is actually 2 tablets, one taken within 72 hours of intercourse and the second 12 hours later. It is NOT the same as RU-486.
Plan B is believed to act as an emergency contraceptive principally by preventing ovulation or fertilization. In addition, it may inhibit implantation. It is not effective once the process of implantation has begun. Things to consider:
- Emergency contraception is not effective if a woman is already pregnant.
- Plan B does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.
- The most common side effects in the Plan B clinical trial were nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, and menstrual changes.
- The manufacturer warns that Plan B is not recommended for routine use as a contraceptive.
Manufacturer's Prescribing Information for Plan B (Levonorgestrel) tablets, 0.75 mg. Mfg. by Gedeon Richter, Ltd., Budapest, Hungary for Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pomona, NY 10970. Revised Feb 2004. BR-038 / 21000382503
