Plan B

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone’s semesters went well and you’re enjoying your winter break now. I know I am! I finally have some free time to breath and relax, so I thought what better opportunity to make another post?

Even though there’s a lot of different kinds of birth control out there, I think there are three main ones that kids our age know about and use. Condoms and the pill are two of them. The third is one that a lot of kids hope they never have to use, but consider a lifesaver when they do use it: Plan B.

Like the name implies, Plan B is a last resort sort of thing - you don’t want to use it unless you absolutely have to. It’s a couple pills that you take within 72 hours of having sex if your other contraceptive method failed (like if the condom broke) or if you just didn’t use one. You can take the first pill any time within 72 hours, then take the second 12 hours after the first. Plan B is extremely effective, but there’s a reason it’s a last resort.
It’s expensive, for one thing. As you can see at that link, it’s $55 for the two pills, so one use. That’s like paying $55 for one condom. But worse than that, it hurts like a bitch. How it works is it floods your system with hormones, so it’s going to make you sick, no question. That’s why it’s called “emergency” contraception - you should only use it in emergencies when you’re worried that you had unprotected sex. And a note, it doesn’t protect against STDs, obviously. But if you had unprotected sex, even though it sucks, you SHOULD use Plan B. It will work, pretty much guaranteed. And I think we can all agree that the price and the feeling like shit for a day afterward are worth not being pregnant. So even though you should use Plan B as a LAST RESORT, you SHOULD use it if you didn’t use any other form of birth control. Oh, also, even though I linked to a website, don’t buy it online. It won’t get there in time, even if you do express shipping you don’t want to risk it. You can buy it over the counter at your local drugstore. I’ve heard that you need a prescription if you’re under 18, but I’m not positive about that. 18 and older you can definitely get it over the counter, though. Alright, I think that’s it about Plan B. If you have any questions, as always, ask away. Enjoy the rest of your winter break, and be safe!