Do You Have A Plan B?

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Let me start by saying exactly what this post is NOT about. It’s not about personal feelings about anyone’s right to choose or lack thereof. It’s not about how I live my life or how I think anyone else should live theirs. It’s not about morality, religion, politics or any type of who’s right controversy. What this post IS about, is education. Nobody can make any type of decision without being educated on the topic, or at least I think they shouldn’t make decisions without understanding all of the options. I think that talking about these things openly is not done enough. I understand why… people feel embarrassed or ashamed, unsure of the reactions of others, but I’d like to use this opportunity to remind all the ladies out there that self-care is #1. Don’t ignore resources available to you because you don’t understand them. I’m not telling you what choice to make, I just want you to be aware of all of the choices that are out there for you should you like to explore them further.  I’d like to offer some education about fact vs. myth so that maybe it opens a much needed door for someone who otherwise wouldn’t have sought out information. I want you to be educated because knowledge, my friends, truly is power.

 

What Is Plan B?

•      The active ingredient, levonorgestrel, is the same ingredient in many common birth control pills – just at a single, higher dose.
•      Plan B works mainly by delaying ovulation – it helps to prevent pregnancy BEFORE it begins.
•      It is NOT an abortion pill and it will NOT affect an existing pregnancy.
•      The sooner you take it, the better it works. Ideally, Plan B should be taken asap, but certainly within 72 hours of unprotected sex or birth control failure and, of course, read the information on and in the package to make sure you’re using as directed.
•      Taking Plan B One-Step will not impact a woman’s future (or long-term) fertility.
•      You do not need an ID or prescription to purchase. At Target you can find Plan B with other contraceptive and pregnancy related items. If you’re looking for the product and cannot locate it within the store, you can always ask the pharmacist and they will be able to help.

 

Why Plan B?

Emergency contraception is an important option for all women and their family planning efforts. Did you know that half of the women who use Plan B are 18-24 and the other half are 25 or over? There is a common misconception that it is promiscuous younger women who use the product but that simply isn’t true. Sure some are, but there is no specific “type” of woman who uses emergency contraception because things happen that you did not plan on regardless of age, race, socioeconomic status, or any other demographic category that someone can be tossed into. For that, nobody should be embarrassed or ashamed because that’s simply how life works…expect the unexpected and that’s exactly why it’s so important to always have a “Plan B”.