This OTYCD post originally ran in July 2018.
Defend yourself against a post-Roe world by stocking up on Plan B, the emergency contraception medicine you can take in the hours and days after sex to prevent pregnancy.
With the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), countless Americans fear that the Roe vs. Wade ruling will be overturned, reverting legislation on abortion to the individual states instead of allowing it on the federal level.
Those who express fear over this possibility are correct. It is, indeed, time to panic and take defensive stances. The far right has been hell-bent on overturning Roe since the SCOTUS decided it in 1973. Evangelicals and other far-right extremists don’t want women to control their own bodies. It’s not about preserving life. It never was. It’s about making women slaves to their fertility. Period. Full stop.
We’ve reached the point in this shitshow where it makes sense to buy and bank doses of Plan B, the emergency contraception medication that can prevent pregnancy in the hours and days after an act of penis-in-vagina (PIV) sex. Plan B is the best-known, but those who are over a certain weight should use ella instead. Plan B works less well with folks who weigh 180 pounds or more.
Emergency contraception can be effective as late as five days after sex, but it’s best to take it as soon as you suspect you might be pregnant. Emergency contraception is NOT, repeat, NOT an abortificient, aka a drug that causes an abortion. It prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the lining of the wall of the uterus. If the egg does not implant, it cannot lead to pregnancy.
And hurrah hurrah, you can purchase it over the counter (OTC). It costs $40 to $60, generally. If you’re wealthier than most, it’s even more important that you consider building an emergency contraception stash to help friends and family who are less well-off. Being forced to find an extra $40 to $60 is a legitimate hardship for many. If you can step up, please do so.
The options below allow you to place your order online, which lets you avoid judgmental and nosy pharmacists who might refuse to fill the script over a “religious objection”.
If you yourself are past the point of needing to worry about an unwanted pregnancy, it still makes sense to bank doses to help daughters, nieces, cousins, and their friends who might find themselves suddenly flung into hell in a state with anti-abortion trigger laws.
As noted below, Plan B has a shelf life of four years, and the expiration date is printed on the box. Afterpill, another variant, is good for 18 months. There doesn’t appear to be information on ella but the expiration date should be printed on the box.
Emily L Hauser (@emilylhauser) had a good, short Twitter thread on this on June 27, 2018 (Note that the coupon linked in the second tweet might be expired by the time this post goes live):
Between the election & the inauguration, I bought two rounds of Plan B (the morning after pill) to have on hand should my children or their friends need it in the anti-choice hellscape that I imagined would come into being. We’re a step closer to that hellscape now. 1/2
I just called Plan B customer service to confirm the following: Plan B (& other levonorgestrel meds) has a 4-yr shelf life; the exp. date is printed clearly on the box. Here’s a coupon: https://www.planbonestep.com/helpful-tools/how-to-save.aspx … Here’s info from Planned Parenthood https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/morning-after-pill-emergency-contraception/whats-plan-b-morning-after-pill … 2/2
I’m being reminded that Plan B isn’t nearly as effective over a certain weight. The
alternative is known as ella. Here’s information on the ella morning after pill
Here’s a way to order online [She included this link]:
[Here also is an info link about Ella]
PS It’s worth remembering that online information can lose its funding & go missing, be changed, etc & so on. Books are harder to get rid of. This is a terrific resource on human sexuality, geared toward teens/young adults & good for anyone with questions
[She included this link] https://www.dacapopress.com/titles/heather-corinna/s-e-x-second-edition/9780738218854/
PPS A lot of people are talking about how useful this information will be for their daughters – SONS (/people with any reproductive organs) NEED THIS INFORMATION, TOO. Please and thank you.
Another followup for the record: Plan B, ella, & all of their various forms do NOT terminate pregnancies – they prevent pregnancy from occurring in the first place. Here’s information on that: http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/ecabt.html … Also for the record, abortion is healthcare & yes I’ve had one.
Later, in the comments, she included a link for purchasing Afterpill, another brand of emergency contraception:
Further along in the comments, another poster included an Amazon link to a generic emergency contraception medication:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NKMY5E2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_xEdnBbPECGPX2?th=1
One Thing You Can Do 