Plan B One-Step ( levonorgestrel) is emergency contraception (commonly called the “ morning after pill ”) used as backup contraception to prevent pregnancy when taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex or when birth control fails. Levonorgestrel is a progestin. Progestins are hormones used in many birth control pills.
What is Plan B one-step emergency contraception?
Plan B One-Step emergency contraception is a drug application approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 13, 2009. Plan B One-Step consists of just one oral pill (levonorgestrel tablet, 1.5 milligrams).
How much does it cost to buy emergency contraceptives?
It costs roughly $40 to $50 for one pill, depending on where you buy it from. Some insurance plans may cover emergency contraceptives, so we recommend contacting your insurance company for more details. If your plan doesn't cover it, a pharmacist may be able to tell you why.
How many pills are in Plan B one step?
Plan B One-Step consists of just one oral pill (levonorgestrel tablet, 1.5 mg). The original Plan B (and its generic equivalent, Next Choice) include two emergency contraceptive pills to be taken 12 hours apart or at the same time.
What are the benefits of birth control pills?
You can also take it to prevent an unplanned pregnancy if you missed a dose of your birth control pill or if there was an issue with the form of birth control you used -- if, for instance, the condom broke.
Is one step as effective as Plan B?
If you take the pill within 72 hours after you've had unprotected sex, levonorgestrel can reduce the risk of pregnancy by up to 87% if taken as directed. If you take Plan B One-Step within 24 hours, it is much more effective. But you should know that Plan B One-Step is not as effective as regular contraception.
What are side effects of Plan B One-Step?
Like any medication, Plan B One-Step does have side effects. The most common side effect is nausea, which occurs in about a quarter of women after taking the drug. Other side effects include abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, dizziness, vomiting, and menstrual changes.
How effective is the one pill?
Around 1 in 100 women will get pregnant in a year when using the progestogen-only pill correctly. Typical use: around 91% effective. Around 9 in 100 women will get pregnant in a year.
Is Plan B One-Step one or two pills?
Plan B One-Step is a single tablet. Next Choice is taken as 2 doses. Both pills can be taken at the same time or as 2 separate doses 12 hours apart. Either may be taken for up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse.
Can Plan B Make U Infertile?
Plan B does not affect your future fertility, no matter how many times you take it. However, you should not use Plan B as a long-term form of birth control because it can cause irregular bleeding, headaches, and fatigue. Birth control options that are more effective include the pill, patch, implants, and IUDs.
What should you not do after taking Plan B?
You may experience spotting a few days after taking Plan B®, but this is not your period. While you're waiting for your next period, abstain from having unprotected intercourse or make sure to use a contraceptive.
What is the safest birth control?
Abstinence. Abstinence is the only birth control that is 100 percent effective and is also the best way to protect you against STDs.
Can you still get pregnant on the pill?
Yes. Although birth control pills have a high success rate, they can fail and you can get pregnant while on the pill. Certain factors increase your risk of getting pregnant, even if you're on birth control. Keep these factors in mind if you're sexually active and want to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.
Do you need to pull out on the pill?
The reality is withdrawal isn't as effective as other types of birth control, but it's definitely better than not using anything at all. And pulling out can be easily combined with other methods to give you extra pregnancy preventing power.
Can men buy the morning-after pill?
Yes. The morning-after pill is also known as emergency contraception, emergency birth control, backup birth control, and by the brand names Plan B One-Step, ella, and Next Choice. Plan B One-Step and Next Choice are available from drugstores and health centers without a prescription for women and men 17 and older.
How long after taking Plan B do you feel side effects?
This means many potential side effects are similar to those of birth control pills that contain any type of progestin hormone, also known as combined oral contraceptives. Most of these side effects, if you have any, will begin within a couple hours to a day of taking Plan B and will only last about two or three days.
What are the most common side effects of Plan B?
Side effects of the morning-after pill, which typically last only a few days, might include:Nausea or vomiting.Dizziness.Fatigue.Headache.Breast tenderness.Bleeding between periods or heavier menstrual bleeding.Lower abdominal pain or cramps.
How long until Plan B is out of your system?
Once ingested, it's only effective for a maximum of about five days. After this amount of time, the hormones that were in the pill will have left the body.
How do you know if the Plan B work?
You'll know if your emergency contraception worked when you get your next period, which could come within a week of when you expect. Your period may be heavier, lighter, earlier, or later than usual. EC pills can also cause some irregular bleeding or spotting afterward.
How It Works
What Plan B One-Step Is Not
- Emergency contraception is often mistakenly confused with the early abortion pill, RU486(also referred to as M&M, Mifeprex, mifepristone or medical abortion). These two medications serve two different purposes and work completely different from one another. Plan B One-Step is not an abortion pill. It is also not effective if taken after you are already pregnant. The new Plan B will n…
How to Obtain It
- In the court case Tummino v. Hamburg, the judge ordered the FDA to allow Plan B One-Step to be sold over-the-counter with no age restrictions. After a series of appeals, the FDA finally announced its approval for Plan B One-Step to be sold over-the-counter to people of any age. The agency also granted Teva exclusivity to sell Plan B One-Step over-the-counter. But, in February 2014, the FDA …
When to Use It
- Plan B One-Step should be taken as soon as possible within 72 hours (three days) of condomless sex or contraceptive failureto reduce the risk of an unplanned pregnancy. The sooner Plan B One-Step is taken, the more effective it'll be. Plan B One-Step can also be used any time during your menstrual cycle. However, if you vomit within two hours of ta...
Side Effects
- When used as directed, Plan B One-Step is safe for most people. The most common side effects in the clinical trial for women receiving Plan B One-Step included: 1. Heavier menstrual bleeding (30.9%) 2. Nausea (13.7%) 3. Lower abdominal pain (13.3%) 4. Fatigue (13.3%) 5. Headache (10.3%) 6. Dizziness (9.6%) 7. Breast tenderness (8.2%) 8. Delay of menses (more than seven da…
Effectiveness
- Plan B One-Step is most effective the sooner it is started. When taken as directed (within 72 hours of condomless sex or contraceptive failure), Plan B One-Step is about 89% effective in reducing the chance of pregnancy. About 7 out of 8 people who would have gotten pregnant will not become pregnant after taking Plan B One-Step. Plan B One-Step will not continue to prevent preg…
Costs
- The cost of one package of Plan B One-Step can range anywhere from about $35 to $65, with the average price being around $45.