Emergency Contraception

You may have heard of emergency contraceptives referred to by such names as "The Morning-After Pill", Plan B, or ella®.  

How does it work?

Emergency contraception can be misleading. When taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, it works by suppressing ovulation if ovulation has not yet occurred. But if fertilization has already taken place, it may cause an early abortion by interfering with implantation.*

Is it always effective?

According to studies, when taken after intercourse in the fertile period and before ovulation is triggered, Plan B fails to act as a contraceptive 80-92% of the time. It acts, instead, as an abortifacient by eliminating all embryos likely to have been conceived.  When given on the day of ovulation, or later, to prevent pregnancy from intercourse during the fertile period, it almost always fails to prevent established pregnancies.¹*

If you have questions about emergency contraceptives or are concerned you may be pregnant, contact us. 

¹Susan E. Wills, J.D., LL.M., an Associate Scholar with the Charlotte Lozier Institute.  

*We do not dispense or refer for birth control or emergency contraceptives.