Emergency Contraception
What is EC?
How does EC work?
Is EC an abortion pill?
How much money is EC?
HOW DO I GET EC?
What if I don't have PACT insurance?
Is there anywhere I can get more information?
Emergency contraception…what is that?
You may know it as the “morning after pill” or “Plan B.”
It’s that set of pills you take when you forgot to use a condom, when the condom you were using broke, if you took your birth control wrong or if you were forced to have sex.
Basically, you use it when you don’t want to get pregnant, but you think you’re at risk for it.
How does it work?
You take both pills at the same time within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected sex. The sooner you use it, the better it’s going to work. (For that reason, it’s a good idea to have one handy just in case!)
When you take the pills, they work by not letting your body ovulate (release an egg) long enough for any live sperm to die out. If there’s no egg there, it can’t get fertilized, and you can’t get pregnant.
If I’m already pregnant, is it like an abortion pill?
No. EC IS NOT AN ABORTION PILL. If you’ve already ovulated, or if you’re already pregnant, it actually won’t work.
How much does it cost?
If you have Family PACT insurance it’s free. You can get up to 6 a year. You can sign up for Family PACT here at DCYHC.
If you don’t have PACT, it can be up to $50. So make sure you plan ahead and get PACT insurance now!
How do I get EC?
Use the steps below:
- Go to this website: http://www.dph.sf.ca.us/sfcityclinic/services/planb.asp.
- Fill in your information, and put in a 415 area code with your phone number (no matter what your actual area code is).
- Print out the prescription and take it to the nearest pharmacy that provides EC. Click here to find out pharmacy locations nearest you.
What if I don’t have Family PACT insurance?
You will be charged up to $50 for your EC. So make sure you come to the health center to enroll in Family PACT so you don’t have to worry about having to pay.
Want More Information?
Click Here to go to another web page that talks about Emergency Contraception.
Click here for information on making an appointment at DCYHC.
|
