You can still get pregnant even if you have been on the pill for years or months. Pills are almost a hundred percent effective in preventing pregnancies, but it is only true if you use it perfectly. By perfect, we’re talking taking the pill without miss at the same time throughout your cycle. Missing one dose or taking one late drastically ups your chances of getting pregnant at your next sexual encounter. If you only rely on the safety net your pill provides every time you have sex, it’s high time to start thinking about requiring your partner to use a condom or using another method together with the pill. Without these precautions, you seriously risk getting pregnant on birth control.
Of course, there are really no foolproof ways about avoiding the bump especially if you are a fertile, healthy young woman. The condom may break, your cervical cap can get dislodged or, sometimes, it’s just your luck. For these occasions, there’s always Plan B.
What’s your Plan B?
Plan B is an emergency contraception pill that contains the hormone progestin. Also known as the “morning after pill,” it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy from occurring after you have unprotected sex.
Unknown to many, you don’t get pregnant immediately after having unprotected sex. Clinically, you only get pregnant when the fertilized egg implants itself in your uterus. Even if your egg has been fertilized, you are not technically pregnant until it implants itself. Of course, sperm cells still have to swim through your reproductive system to find your egg; an activity which can take hours or days at most. This said, Plan B offers you an advantage if you use it properly.
How to put the Plan into action?
The key to using Plan B is all about the timing. You don’t want the sperm to reach your egg and you certainly do not want the fertilized egg implanting itself in your womb. Plan B is best taken the morning after or less than 72 hours after you had unprotected sex. Given this most important bit about using Plan B, here are some general guidelines that can help it work for you well:
Get Plan B as soon as you can.
Plan B is available by prescription but is sold over-the-counter in most pharmacies. Get a prescription from your health care provider so you can get it ASAP. If your local drugstore does not carry Plan B or is out of stock, you can log on the Internet and buy it from an online pharmacy. Many reputable online pharmacies deliver medications, especially those that are critical like Plan B, within two to three days so you’re still right within the ideal time of taking it.
Take the first dose at once and the second one 12 hours after.
Plan B comes in two doses. Take the first one immediately or within three days of having unprotected sex. The sooner you take it, the more effective it’ll be for you. Be prepared for side effects like drowsiness or nausea. The second dose should be taken 12 hours after you took the first dose.
Using Plan B can make you safe for unplanned pregnancy but remember that it is not a form of regular birth control. After five days, use a personal pregnancy kit just to be sure. Alternatively, you can also visit your doctor to be doubly sure.
