The Morning After Pill
What is the Morning After Pill?
The Morning After Pill, or “Plan B”, is a large dose of oral contraceptive. The primary purpose of the pill is to act as an emergency contraceptive by preventing the ovulation, fertilization or the implantation of a fertilized egg.
How does the Morning After Pill work?
The morning after pill is NOT an abortion pill (The abortion pill is called RU486 and is a medical abortion). It won’t work if you are already pregnant. It is another form of birth control and prevents a pregnancy from occurring. Morning after pills work by temporarily stopping your ovary from releasing an egg, so that the sperm from intercourse cannot attach to the egg and cause a pregnancy. The morning after pill causes you not to ovulate if taken correctly.
Some Things to Consider:
- The Morning After Pill is not effective if you know you are already pregnant.
- Common side effects of taking the morning after pill include nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache and menstrual changes.
- Manufacturers recommend not using Plan B as routine use as a contraceptive.
- Plan B does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Our clinics do not provide Plan B but can provide you with information about the emergency contraceptive and if it’s right for you. We will provide you with a free lab-certified pregnancy test. You will have results during your appointment.