Where Can I Get Plan B Is It Only Over The Counter
You can get Plan B or other levonorgestrel pills at your local drug store or pharmacy. You can also order some levonorgestrel pills online, if time allows, or try going to a nearby family planning clinic or health center.
Levonorgestrel can be purchased over the counter without a prescription in the U.S. It’s often locked or kept behind the counter, so you may have to ask a pharmacist or store clerk for assistance.
What’s everyone talking about?
Is Birth Control Still Legal In The Us
Nicole Stock and Dani Blum
Birth control remains legal everywhere in the United States, though several states allow doctors and pharmacists to refuse to prescribe or dispense contraceptives, according to the Guttmacher Institute.The Supreme Court decision that overruled Roe v. Wade does not indicate that the Court would revisit past decisions about birth control.
In a concurring opinion, however, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the justices should reconsider all of this Courts substantive due process precedents, including the case of Griswold v. Connecticut, which ruled a ban on contraceptives unconstitutional.
Some legal experts have raised concerns that justices could apply the argument for overturning Roe to limiting access to contraceptives. As a result, those who support birth control access worry that legislators could use a ban on abortion to make birth control less available.
Weve seen folks falsely equating emergency contraceptives and IUDs with abortion, said Mara Gandal-Powers, director of birth control access and senior counsel at the National Womens Law Center. Thats certainly something Im concerned about.
One concern that has been raised is whether laws, like one in Oklahoma, that ban abortion from the moment of fertilization would also outlaw intrauterine devices, or IUDs, which are designed to prevent fertilization but also can stop a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
Birth Control / Sex Radicalism
In nineteenth- and early twentieth-century America, birth control was a radical, even frightening idea. Activists, many drawn from the freethought movement, argued that “science … should put it in the power of woman to decide whether she will or will not become a mother” . To put an argument for birth controlmuch less information about actual birth control methodsinto print was to invite prosecution under the eras opressive obscenity statutes.
Prominent birth-control advocates included Charles Knowlton, who was jailed for selling his 1830s birth control tract Fruits of Philosophy. Thousands of copies of this tract were sold throughout the nineteenth century, with sellers being arrested and tried for obscenity on multiple occasions in the United States and England. In many ways, Knowltons successor was the American medical doctor Edward Bliss Foote, who published Medical Common Sense, an 1864 book that offered more reliable birth control information than Knowltons tract had provided. Foote was largely precluded from selling his book by mail because of restrictive anti-obscenity laws. In the twentieth century, of course, Corning native would fight for the right to distribute scientifically valid birth control information. She would go on to found Planned Parenthood and support research that would develop the famous birth-control pill of the 1960s.
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The Issue Of Abortion Around The World
An evolving landscape.Womens access to abortion continues to be debated around the globe. Heres a look at the state of affairs in some countries:
Colombia.The countrys top court in 2022, making it the third major Latin American nation to allow access to the procedure. The decision paves the way for abortions to become widely available across this historically conservative, Catholic country.
How Does The Pill Work
The birth control pill is a hormone-based contraceptive that often works in several ways simultaneously to prevent conception. By regulating hormone levels, the pill alters the conditions found in the female reproductive system and can dramatically lower the chance of pregnancy.
A birth control pill will usually:
- Thicken the cervical lining, which blocks sperm from entering the uterus and minimizes their ability to fertilize an egg.
- Limit the ability of the ovaries to release an egg, which is the biological element instrumental to conception.
- Render the lining of the uterus unreceptive to a fertilized egg in the event that other protective measures are unsuccessful.
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What Is Plan B
A morning-after pill is an oral emergency contraception that you can take up to five days after unprotected sex to reduce risk of pregnancy.
There are two types of morning-after pills: levonorgestrel pills and the ulipristal acetate-based Ella pill. Plan B One-Step, or Plan B, is arguably the most well-known levonorgestrel pill in the U.S.
According to Planned Parenthood, taking a levonorgestrel morning-after pill within three days of unprotected sex can lower your chance of getting pregnant by 75-89%. In addition to Plan B One-Step, common brands include Take Action, Preventeza, AfterPill, Aftera, My Choice, My Way, Option 2 and EContra One-Step.
New York’s Attorney General Wants To Keep Birth Control Free
Managing Editor, Breaking News, HuffPost
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced legislation Wednesday that would protect access to free contraception even as Republicans move toward repealing the Affordable Care Act.
The Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act would require all insurers governed by the state to cover the costs of FDA-approved forms of birth control, including male contraceptives and emergency pills such as Plan B. The bill would also allow people to get a full-years supply of birth control at a time.
President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have made repealing the Affordable Care Act which contains a provision that guarantees full birth control coverage for most women a priority. On Wednesday night, hours after Schneidermans announcement, Senate Republicans took the first legislative step toward repeal.
Rep. Tom Price , Trumps nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has also said contraception coverage is unnecessary.
In a statement, Schneiderman said his proposal was directly aimed at protecting contraceptive rights should repeal go through.
Schneidermans proposal would need to pass both chambers of the state legislature and earn approval from Gov. Andrew Cuomo . While New Yorks assembly is controlled by Democrats, Republicans have the majority in the state Senate.
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How Soon Should You Take Plan B How Does The Pill Work
Despite the name, you don’t have to take a morning-after pill in the morning directly after having unprotected sex. You can take Plan B and other levonorgestrel pills up to five days after, but the sooner the better. Planned Parenthood notes that it works best to take a levonorgestrel pill within three days of unprotected sex.
In basic terms, a levonorgestrel morning-after pill is a hormone-based contraceptive that prevents or delays ovulation, which is when an egg is released from the ovary. It’s like a highly-concentrated birth control pill, Dr. Mary Jacobson, an obstetrics-gynecologist and chief medical officer at Alpha Medical, previously told USA TODAY.
The pill is very safe, but there can be some mild side effects. According to the Mayo Clinic, side effects can include nausea, fatigue, headache, bleeding between periods or heavier menstrual bleeding.
More:What to know about birth control as Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
You cannot take Plan B too much, Shah notes, because it will just continue to delay ovulation. Planned Parenthood says it’s “totally safe to take the morning-after pill as many times as you need to” but adds that it might not be the best form of a go-to contraception in the long term due to the financial cost, some of the side effects and because other types of birth control may be a better fit.
Male birth control:What’s getting in the way, sexism or science?
Do I Need To Be 18 To Buy Plan B What Are Conscience Clauses
No. You should be able to buy Plan B and other levonorgestrel morning-after pills no matter what age you are.
However, some state laws can cause barriers in access. “Conscience clauses,” for example, give pharmacists and other health care providers the right to refuse filling emergency contraception and contraception prescriptions if it violates their religious or personal beliefs.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, conscience clauses were first enacted across numerous states in response to the landmark Roe decision, allowing physicians to refuse to perform an abortion and hospitals to ban abortions performed on their premises. Protections for refusing to distribute emergency contraception, including morning-after pills, soon followed.
Conscience clause legislation can vary between states, but some states with these kind protections include South Dakota, Idaho, Arizona and Texas.
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Ny Attorney General Fights To Keep Birth Control Free If ‘obamacare’ Revoked
NEW YORK — With Obamacare’s fate hanging in the balance, New York’s attorney general is trying to make sure birth control coverage is protected in the state.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman wants to require all insurers in New York to cover contraception for both women and men.
“New Yorkers have a right to comprehensive, cost-free access to birth control,” Schneiderman said in a statement. “With the Affordable Care Act under attack in Washington, it’s all the more critical that New York act now to protect these rights.”
Schneiderman proposed the same measure in 2015. It died in the State Senate, but now the stakes are different, WCBS 880’s Alex Silverman reported.
“This is 2017, an election is causing complete panic among our patients,” Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Adrien Varilli said.
Appointments for long-term birth control are up by a third since the election, with the Affordable Care Act’s contraception coverage up in the air, Varilli said.
“People were telling our clinicians like, ‘What’s gonna happen? Am I gonna lose my health insurance? Am I gonna lose access to birth control?'” Varilli said.
Birth control can cost $1,000 a year in some cases.
The attorney general’s bill would allow women and men to pickup a year’s worth at a time for no cost.
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How Effective Are Birth Control Pills
Effectiveness is an important and common concern when choosing a birth control method. Birth control pills are very effective. Combination pills work best when taken every day. Progestin-only pills must be taken at the same time every day. That keeps the correct level of hormone in a womans body.
- Less than 1 out of 100 women will get pregnant each year if they always take the pill each day as directed.
- About 9 out of 100 women will get pregnant each year if they dont always take the pill each day as directed.
The pill may be slightly less effective for women who are very overweight. Talk with your health care provider if you are concerned about how well the pill may work for you.
Certain medicines and supplements may make the pill less effective. These include
- the antibiotic rifampin other antibiotics do not make the pill less effective
- certain medicines that are taken by mouth for yeast infections
- certain HIV medicines
- certain anti-seizure medicines
- St. Johns wort
Vomiting and diarrhea may also keep the pill from working. Ask your health care provider for advice. Use a backup method of birth control like a condom, female condom, diaphragm, sponge, or emergency contraception until you find out you dont need to.
Keep in mind the pill doesnt protect against sexually transmitted infections. Use a latex or female condom to reduce the risk of infection.
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Unintended Pregnancy In The United States And The Case For Contraceptive Access
The College supports womens right to decide whether to have children, to determine the number and spacing of their children, and to have the information, education, and access to health services to make those choices 4. Women must have access to reproductive health care, including the full range of contraceptive choices, to fulfill these rights.
Reproductive Health Care And Family Planning For All
When Margaret Sanger opened Americas first clinic devoted to reproductive health in Brooklyn in 1916, all forms of birth control were considered obscene and illegal under the draconian Comstock laws. Planned Parenthood of New York City carries on Sangers courageous work, providing reproductive care for all in safe and comfortable clinics. The Foundation is dedicated to empowering every individual to have access to quality health care and to be free to choose when and whether to have children.
A grant from the Foundation enabled Planned Parenthood of NYC to provide intrauterine devices and Nexplanon implants at no cost or greatly reduced cost for clients who are uninsured, ineligible for Medicaid, or otherwise lacking the resources to pay out of pocket. These contraceptive technologies are effective for three to five years with virtually no adverse side effects and may be discontinued at any time. Though they are popular with PPNYC clients, the high upfront cost of these devices is a serious barrier to their use, and the Foundations grant alleviates this difficulty.
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What Are The Benefits Of Birth Control Pills
Taking the pill is simple, safe, and convenient. It does not interfere with having sex. Many women say it improves their sex lives because it helps them feel more spontaneous.
Women who do not need birth control often choose to take the pill for the other benefits it offers. Combination and progestin-only pills
- reduce menstrual cramps
- cysts in the breasts and ovaries
- premenstrual symptoms, including headaches and depression
- bad cramps
- heavy and/or irregular periods
Combination pills can be used to control when and how often you have your period. Some pills are specially packaged for women to have only a few periods a year. Other pills can also be used continuously to prevent having periods. With these pills, women take an active pill every day to keep from getting their periods. It is normal for them to have spotting or bleeding the first 6 months. It may get less over time. Some stop having any bleeding at all. This is normal and will not harm your body. But its a good idea to get tested if you think you might be pregnant.
What About Plan B And Emergency Contraception
There are two morning-after pills available: Plan B, which is available over the counter at drugstores and pharmacies, and Ella, which requires a prescription. Both delay ovulation and allow sperm in the reproductive tract to die out.
People concerned about pregnancy should take Plan B within 72 hours after unprotected sex. Ella can be effective for up to five days after unprotected sex.
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Family Planning And Birth Control Specialists In Nyc
Reproductive health is an integral part of womens health care. At Great City Medical in New York City, our gynecology experts are ready to help you find the best birth control methods to match your health and lifestyle preferences. No matter what type of birth control youre currently using, we can find the right option for you and help minimize the risk of side effects.
Gynecologist Dr. Yelena Tsyba is well-versed in the entire spectrum of contraceptive methods. She offers her expertise in counseling patients who need information about preserving their ability to become pregnant later, avoiding sexually transmitted infections, and building the right birth control options.
Debating The Poverty Link
The idea of contraception as a key to economic mobility emerged after the 1960s and 1970s, when contraception and abortion became legal state by state. A string of studies showed that, when birth control arrived, womens careers and educational attainment improved and the number of children they had declined.
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Medicaid Family Planning Services
- all types of birth control: pills, condoms, diaphragms, IUDs, Depo Provera, Norplant, and contraceptive foams
- emergency contraception
- sterilization
- testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases including colposcopy, cryotherapy and LEEP *
- HIV testing and pre test and post test counseling *
- Pap smears testing for cervical cancer, pelvic problems, breast disease, anemia, and high blood pressure *
- abortion.
*As part of a family planning visit
Abortion Rates Fall When Birth Control Is Free
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Oct. 4, 2012 — Abortions and unplanned pregnancies dropped dramatically in a new study when women and teenaged girls were provided birth control at no cost.
The women and girls were also more likely to choose IUDs or contraceptive implants when cost was not an issue.
Family planning advocates say the study shows the potential of the health reform law to reduce unplanned pregnancies nationwide.
Cost Has Been Barrier to IUD, Implant Use
The law requires health insurers to provide all FDA-approved forms of contraception without charging a co-pay.
They say cost has been a big barrier to the use of IUDs and implants, which have a much lower rate of failure than other reversible birth control methods.
This study reinforces what I have seen in my own practice, says Yale School of Medicine ob-gyn Nancy Stanwood, MD, who is chair-elect of the group Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health.
When women have access to all methods of birth control and cost is not a barrier, they prefer the highly effective methods.”
Half of Pregnancies in U.S. Unplanned
About half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, and about half of these pregnancies happen when birth control is not used.
The rest happen when contraception is used only some of the time or is used incorrectly.
While the women were offered any FDA-approved method of contraception at no cost, the researchers made sure they knew that IUDs and implants were the most effective.
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