Gone are the days when condoms and the pill are a woman’s only options for preventing unwanted pregnancies. There are many options that utilize different science to regulate your cycle and stop pregnancies before they start. Because every option works differently, it’s important to talk through all of them with a health care provider who can help you find one that best fits your needs, body, and lifestyle.
Plan B
Plan B, sometimes called the morning after pill, is a form of emergency conception that can be used in the event that your primary birth control fails, such as if a condom breaks. It is only effective in the first 72 hours after unprotected intercourse and even if taken within that window doesn’t guarantee pregnancy prevention.
The morning after pill will not end an existing pregnancy. Side effects vary widely but may include everything from nausea to dizziness. It is also important to note that Plan B loses efficacy in women over a certain weight.
The Pill
The pill has been a mainstay in birth control since its first appearance in the 1920s. The pill works using combinations of hormones to delay ovulation and thicken vaginal mucus to make it more difficult for sperm to join with an egg to fertilize it.
There are two different kinds of birth control pills:
- Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills (COCs)
- Progestin-only Pills (POPs)
Combined oral contraceptive pills contain two hormones
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