Let's Clear Up All the Misinformation You've Heard About the Morning-After Pill

by N/A, 9 years ago | 3 min read

There's a lot of faulty information about the Plan B pill that might make you take pause before using it as an emergency contraceptive, but we're here to set the record straight. The good folks over atÂ BuzzFeed LifeÂ interviewed several medical professionals about the pill, and we want to pass on theirÂ findings to you.Â

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If you're on another form of birth control, don't fretâ€”you can still take Plan B if you feel the need.

Missing a pill or two happens to the best of us, and unfortunately, sometimes it happens at an extremely inopportune time. It's still perfectly fine to take Plan B when this happens. You've gotta play all 48 minutes!Â

You can actually take Plan B, or its generic versions, several days after having sex and you should still benefit from its protection.

You'll find the same warning on any Plan B box, which is that you should take it within 72 hours of having sex, and that the sooner you take it within that time frame, the more effective it will be. To be honest, you should definitely still aim for that, but some recent research has suggested that it can actually be effective for up to four days after, and it doesn't really matter when you take it within that time frame.Â

Don't be concerned if your period is a day or two off. The Plan B can have a small effect on your cycleâ€”it doesn't necessarily mean you're pregnant.

If it is a week or more off, though, it's probably time to take a pregnancy test.Â

Contrary to popular belief, your weight doesn't factor in much in terms of how effective the pill is.

You shouldn't take Plan B over and over again, but there aren't health risks to doing this...it's just a bad idea.

In repeat use it's not as effective as regular birth control, and it's WAY more expensive.Â

You don't need a prescription for Plan B (or even a form of ID), but there IS a prescription-only emergency contraceptive that allows for a little more wiggle room post-coitus.

If your insurance covers birth control, there's a really good chance that it covers emergency contraceptives too...it SHOULD cover any FDA-approved form of contraceptive.

Just keep in mind...Plan B is not foolproof. You could still get pregnant after taking it. But let's hope that doesn't happen...