Age To Buy Plan B Pill
The misguided belief that emergency contraception causes abortion stems from ongoing confusion about the morning-after pill and the abortion pill (RU486), which some people believe are the same thing.
age to buy plan b pill
There are many ways to get emergency contraception (EC) pills at low or no cost. As of August 2022, pharmacists can dispense prescription EC pills without needing a prescription from your health care provider. You can also get progestin EC pills over-the-counter at the pharmacy and both types of EC pills online.
If you want information about other types of birth control methods, STI testing, or any other sexual and reproductive health services, ask your health care provider (doctor, nurse, midwife, or family planning counselor.) If you need a health care provider, visit the Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Locator Map to find a clinic near you.
Levonorgestrel morning-after pills, like Plan B, are arguably the most well-known emergency contraceptives. Other options include the Ella pill and the copper intrauterine device, more widely known as an IUD.
In the wake of the Supreme Court's Friday decision that ended the constitutional right to abortion, people across the U.S. can still buy and access emergency contraception like morning-after pills. But many fear what the reversal of the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade case could mean for other rights protected under the right to privacy, including contraception as a whole.
A morning-after pill is oral emergency contraception that you can take up to five days after unprotected sex (including if your method of birth control failed, such as a ripped condom or missing a birth control pill) to reduce the risk of pregnancy.
There are two types of morning-after pills: levonorgestrel pills and the ulipristal acetate-based Ella pill. Plan B One-Step, or Plan B, is arguably the most well-known levonorgestrel pill in the U.S.
According to Planned Parenthood, taking a levonorgestrel morning-after pill within three days of unprotected sex can lower your chance of getting pregnant by 75%-89%. In addition to Plan B One-Step, common brands include Take Action, Preventeza, AfterPill, Aftera, My Choice, My Way, Option 2 and EContra One-Step.
You can get Plan B or other levonorgestrel pills at your local drug store or pharmacy. You can also order some levonorgestrel pills online, if time allows, or try going to a nearby family planning clinic or health center.
Health insurance may aid with the cost. You can get morning-after pills for free with many insurance plans, including Medicaid in some states. But if you're using insurance, it's important to note that you will need a prescription by a doctor or nurse so that the pill will be covered. Call your provider to confirm.
Shah recommends buying one or two morning-after pills or getting a prescription in advance, that way you are prepared when you need it. Still, it's important to note that these pills can expire, so check the information on the side of the box.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, conscience clauses were first enacted across numerous states in response to the landmark Roe decision, allowing physicians to refuse to perform an abortion and hospitals to ban abortions performed on their premises. Protections for refusing to distribute emergency contraception, including morning-after pills, soon followed.
Despite the name, you don't have to take a morning-after pill the morning directly after having unprotected sex. You can take Plan B and other levonorgestrel pills up to five days after, but the sooner the better. Planned Parenthood notes that it works best to take a levonorgestrel pill within three days of unprotected sex.
In basic terms, a levonorgestrel morning-after pill is a hormone-based contraceptive that prevents or delays ovulation, which is when an egg is released from the ovary. It's like a highly-concentrated birth control pill, Dr. Mary Jacobson, an OB-GYN and chief medical officer at Alpha Medical, previously told USA TODAY.
The pill is very safe, but there can be some mild side effects. According to the Mayo Clinic, side effects can include nausea, fatigue, headache, bleeding between periods, or heavier menstrual bleeding.
Morning-after pills like Plan B are "a great form of contraception," Shah said. "What I tell people though, is that if you're finding that you're using it so often, it may be a good idea to think about something that is more consistent just in terms of lifestyle."
If you weigh more than 165 pounds, a morning-after pill containing ulipristal acetate, or Ella, may be best for you. However, unlike levonorgestrel morning-after pills, you will need a prescription to buy Ella.
CVS bills insurance plans directly. Or, a person can pay for Plan B with flexible spending account or health savings account funds. Another option is to pay out of pocket and make a claim for reimbursement from an insurance provider.
Q. What is emergency contraception?A. Emergency contraception is a method of preventing pregnancy to be used after another contraceptive fails or after unprotected sex. It is not for routine contraceptive use. Drugs used for this purpose are called emergency contraceptive pills, post-coital pills, or morning-after pills. Emergency contraceptives contain hormonally active drugs.
Q. What is Plan B One-Step?A. Plan B One-Step is an emergency contraceptive, a backup method to other birth control. It is in the form of one levonorgestrel pill (1.5 mg) that is taken by mouth after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. Levonorgestrel is a synthetic hormone used in birth control pills for over 35 years. Plan B One-Step is available as a nonprescription (over-the-counter or OTC) drug.
Q. How does Plan B One-Step work?A. Plan B One-Step works before release of an egg from the ovary. As a result, Plan B One-Step usually stops or delays the release of an egg from the ovary. It is one tablet that contains a higher dose of levonorgestrel than birth control pills and works in a similar way to prevent pregnancy.
Q. Is Plan B One-Step an abortifacient (causing abortion)?A. No. Plan B One-Step will not work if a person is already pregnant, meaning it will not affect an existing pregnancy. Plan B One-Step prevents pregnancy by acting on ovulation, which occurs well before implantation. Evidence does not support that the drug affects implantation or maintenance of a pregnancy after implantation, therefore it does not terminate a pregnancy.
Additionally, while the Affordable Care Act requires insurance providers to cover contraception, these protections do not apply to the uninsured who may be burdened by the $40-$50 per pill price for Plan B.
In an effort to find a compromise for a politically fraught issue, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a proposal to make the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B more available to some younger teens without a prescription and to older women by moving the medication out from behind the pharmacy counter.
Korman gave the FDA 30 days to lift the existing restrictions on the sale of the morning-after pill. He said the Obama administration's failure to make the medication more fully available despite the recommendations of its own scientific staff was "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable."
Previously, the need to keep the product behind the pharmacy counter has limited its availability to hours when pharmacies are open and has led to other difficulties in obtaining the pill, which works best when taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex.
And Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, called the move "an improvement over current policy," but "still disappointing because by retaining an age restriction that the FDA had previously determined was unnecessary, women of all ages must surmount barriers to getting the morning-after pill."
Emergency contraception is not the same as RU-486 (abortion pill). Emergency Contraception is used to prevent pregnancy, and it is not effective if you are already pregnant. Plan B will not affect an existing pregnancy.
Cheaper, generic versions have more restrictions: The FDA granted Teva three years to sell Plan B One-Step exclusively over- the-counter and without a prescription for women of all ages. That means that generic makers will be able to apply for approval for their products in 2016. But these versions will still come with age restrictions, since only the brand name product is available to all women. The generic version of the two-pill contraceptive, which is even cheaper, will only be available at the pharmacy counter without a prescription for girls 17 and up, and will require a prescription for girls under 17,
Plan B is a high-dose form of birth control pill that can help prevent pregnancy. One pill can be taken up to five days after having unprotected sex, although it is recommended that it be taken within three days.
Plan B uses levonorgestrel, a progestin hormone commonly found in standard birth control pills and acts as a more potent dose to discourage pregnancy. It will not terminate a pregnancy if it has already occurred.
Next Choice is the generic equivalent of Plan B, and should be used within three days of having unprotected sex. This method consists of two pills: a woman can either take both pills as soon as they are obtained or one as soon as possible with a second pill taken 12 hours later.
If you want to avoid pregnancy, ask your doctor or medical health provider to help you find an ongoing birth control method that will work for you. The morning after pill should not replace routine methods of birth control and should only be used in emergencies.
CVS Pharmacy offered a mea culpa Thursday after a pharmacist denied the sale of the morning-after pill to Isaac Kurtz of Houston. The pharmacist told Kurtz she was acting on "personal belief" and not store policy.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration deemed Plan B One-Step a safe and effective nonprescription medication for all women of childbearing years. The decision would have allowed the product to be available over-the-counter to people of all ages, but, in an unprecedented move, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius blocked the pill from hitting drug store shelves. 041b061a72