plan B is now available at pharmacies across Canada without a prescription from your doctor. That means you can put plan B in action even faster.
You have to take plan B the morning after unprotected sex or it won't work
plan B can be taken up to a maximum of 72 hours after unprotected sex, or when your contraceptive fails. However, it's effectiveness decreases the longer you wait. plan B is kept behind the counter, so simply ask your pharmacist about it.
Provided you follow the instructions, plan B is:
95% effective within 24 hours of unprotected sex
85% effective between 25 and 48 hours
and 58% effective between 49 and 72 hours There are 2 pills in the pack. One should be taken immediately (but within 72 hours), and the second, 12 hours later.
Taking plan B is just like having an abortion
Absolutely not. It may be comforting to know that plan B does not work if you are already pregnant (a fertilized egg has attached to the wall of the uterus). So if you take the pill, you will not be terminating a pregnancy.
plan B does 1 of 3 things:
It temporarily stops the release of an egg from the ovary;
It prevents fertilization; or
It prevents a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.
If for some reason the pill does not work and you become pregnant, there is no evidence that plan B harms the fetus in any way.
Although plan B is not an abortifacient (does not cause an abortion), as it will not work if a fertilized egg has already attached to the wall of the uterus, some people have religious or ethical concerns over preventing a pregnancy like this, and therefore emergency contraception might not be the right option for them.
If you're uncertain about taking plan B, first speak to your doctor or talk to a professional who shares your background and beliefs.
plan B will throw off the timing of your periods for months
plan B has no long-term effect on your monthly cycle. Most women will get their period when expected, and their cycle will continue as normal.
plan B affects your long-term fertility
There is no evidence that plan B has any effect on a woman's future ability to become pregnant.
Emergency contraception is only used by teens
Research has shown that the people most likely to buy plan B at the pharmacy are women aged 25-34 years. And plan B can be used as emergency contraception right up until menopause.
You're probably going to get sick when you take plan B
Only a small percentage of women will feel side effects, such as breast tenderness, headaches, stomach pains, diarrhea, dizziness or fatigue after taking emergency contraceptive pills. These symptoms are usually minor and should get better after a few days. If you're worried, phone the pharmacist, doctor or nurse who gave you plan B.
You can only use plan B once a year, max
plan B should only be used in emergencies, but there is no medical reason why you can't use it more than once. Don't be afraid to use plan B when you need to, but remember that it should never replace regular, long-term methods of contraception. The pregnancy rate of plan B is calculated for a single use. If plan B is used on more than one occasion, the cumulative pregnancy rate will be higher.
You can develop health problems if you take plan B
There is no evidence that plan B affects your long-term health in any way.
Women will stop using other forms of contraception now that plan B is so easily available
It's important to recognize that the use of plan B is a responsible decision by a woman who wants to prevent an unintended, unwanted pregnancy. In most cases, women need emergency contraception because their first method of protection failed.
You must be 16 or older to buy plan B
plan B is available for use by women who are of childbearing age. Safety and effectiveness are the same for menstruating teens as they are for adult women. There is no upper age limit on using plan B either, but post-menopausal women will not need it.
