Emergency Contraception

Emergency Contraception, sometimes referred to as “the morning after pill”, ella or “the week after pill”, is a name that is given to a number of different medications that can be taken shortly after having sex in order to prevent a pregnancy. The most common forms of emergency contraception are Plan B One-Step and ella. Emergency contraception is NOT the same thing as the abortion pill and is not intended to be used if you already have a known pregnancy.

If you have any questions about emergency contraception, please call us; we are here to help. The most common form of emergency contraception is described below:

Plan B-One Step is an emergency contraception approved by the FDA as a non-prescription product intended to reduce the chance of pregnancy following unprotected sex or known contraceptive failure. It is a single dose pill that should be taken as soon as possible within three days after sexual intercourse.

This pill contains large amounts of a hormone called levonorgestrel which is also found in birth control pills. Levonorgestrel works by stopping or delaying ovulation which would prevent a pregnancy from occurring.

Plan B One-Step will not stop a pregnancy if a woman is already pregnant and it cannot protect a woman from HIV/AIDS or other sexual transmitted diseases.

According to the FDA, some women who have taken Plan B-One Step have reported the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, headache, dizziness, and breast tenderness.

It is not recommended for women to use Plan B-One Step as a regular form of contraception.

The Lennon Pregnancy Center does not offer or refer for abortion services. Our Center does offer counseling and accurate abortion procedure information from reliable sources such as the Michigan Department of Community Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This information is intended for education purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical advice or counseling services.

* “FDA approves Plan B-One Step emergency contraceptive for use without prescription for all women of child-bearing age,” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, June 2013, http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm358082.htm