Need to know about Plan B One-Step®?

What is Plan B One-Step?
Is Plan B One-Step Effective?
How is Plan B One-Step Administered?
Should I take Plan B One-Step?
Can Plan B One-Step cause an abortion?
Does Plan B One-Step have side effects and risks?



What is Plan B One-Step?
Plan B One-Step, sometimes called the morning-after pill is a form of emergency contraceptive. This means it is a type of birth control used after unprotected intercourse or suspected contraceptive failure (e.g. a broken condom) to prevent pregnancy.

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Is Plan B One-Step Effective?
One study conducted by Plan B One-Step found that 84% of expected pregnancies were prevented[1]. The makers of the drug claim that 7 out of 8 women who would have gotten pregnant, did not[2]. These figures are based on estimates of when ovulation might have occurred.

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How is Plan B One-Step Administered?
Plan B® One-Step is administered in one tablet and must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex[3].

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Should I take Plan B One-Step?
Many times women panic after having unprotected sex and rush to take the morning-after pill. However, you can only become pregnant on certain days of the month — around the time that you ovulate. Taking the morning-after pill during a time when you cannot become pregnant needlessly exposes you to large doses of hormones.
If you are already pregnant from an earlier sexual encounter, taking the morning-after pill is of no value and may cause harm[4]. To find out if you are pregnant, contact us, and we’ll connect you with a caring, qualified pregnancy center near you.

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Can Plan B One-Step cause an abortion?
That depends upon how you define “life.” Some believe that pregnancy does not begin until a fertilized egg implants in the womb. However, the scientific reality is that at conception, many defining features are determined such as gender, eye color, and hair color and growth begins[5]. This is why many believe that conception is the starting point of a new human life. Taking Plan B® after the sperm has fertilized the egg may prevent this new life from settling into the womb (implantation) and continuing to grow, which is why many consider it an early abortion[6].

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Does Plan B One-Step have side effects and risks?
Like any medication, the incidence of risks and side effects is variable. Plan B One-Step® is associated with the following side effects: nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, heavier menstrual bleeding and dizziness[7].

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Resources:
1. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Clinical Studies.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed April 25, 2012)
2. Plan B® One-Step Website. “What Plan B® One-Step is.” http://www.planbonestep.com/what-is-plan-b.aspx. (Accessed September 3, 2009)
3. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Dosage and Administration.”
4. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Contraindications.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed April 25, 2012)
5. Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics 18th Edition, 2007 Sauders, an Imprint of Elsevier, Chap 79 The Human Genome; http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/210084012-3/1026247872/1608/210.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50081-5_1721 (Accessed July 16, 2010)
6. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Mechanism of Action.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed April 25, 2012)
7. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Adverse Reactions.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed April 25, 2012)

Source: http://www.optionline.org/morningafterpill#ella