What is Plan B™ emergency contraception (or emergency birth control)?
Emergency contraception, or emergency birth control, is used to keep a woman from getting pregnant when she has had unprotected vaginal intercourse. "Unprotected" can mean that no method of birth control was used. It can also mean that a birth control method was used but did not work - like a condom breaking. Other things can happen as well that put a woman at risk for getting pregnant. A woman may have forgotten to take her birth control pills. She may have been abused or forced to have sex when she did not want to. Emergency contraception should never be used as a regular method of birth control. There are effective methods of birth control that women can use on a regular basis to prevent pregnancy.

Why is Plan B™ prescribed?
Plan B Emergency contraception is intended to prevent pregnancy after known or suspected contraceptive failure or unprotected intercourse. Often called the morning-after pill, emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) can be taken any time up to 72 hours after having unprotected sex.

Plan B Emergency contraceptive pills (like all oral contraceptives) do not protect against infection with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.

How Well Does Plan B™ Work?
About two out of 100 women will become pregnant even if emergency contraceptive pills were taken within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. Of course, this is an average figure and the chance of getting pregnant depends on when unprotected sex occurred during the monthly cycle and how soon after that ECPs are taken. Having unprotected sex during the fertile period (around the time of ovulation) is more likely to result in pregnancy and emergency contraception is more effective when taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex. Also, emergency contraception will not prevent pregnancy if you have unprotected sex after taking the pills.

Because emergency contraception does not prevent all pregnancies, a woman should see her doctor if she doesn't have a period within 3 weeks after taking ECPs.

Who Uses Plan B™?
Emergency contraception is not recommended as a regular birth control method. Instead, it is used for emergencies only. If you are having sex and the condom breaks or slips off, if your diaphragm or cervical cap slips out of place, or if you forgot your birth control pills 2 days in a row, you may want to consider using emergency contraception. It is also available to teens who are forced to have unprotected sex.

INDICATION
Plan B®™ is an emergency contraceptive that can be used to prevent pregnancy following unprotected intercourse or a known or suspected contraceptive failure. To obtain optimal efficacy, the first tablet should be taken as soon as possible within 72 hours of intercourse. The second tablet must be taken 12 hours later.

WARNINGS
Plan B®™ is not recommended for routine use as a contraceptive.
Plan B®™ is not effective in terminating an existing pregnancy.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
One tablet of Plan B®™ should be taken orally within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. The second tablet should be taken 12 hours after the first dose. Efficacy is better if Plan B®™ is taken as directed as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse. Plan B®™ can be used at any time during the menstrual cycle.