If you’ve recently had unprotected sex or the condom broke, you might be feeling anxious about the possibility of pregnancy. Maybe you’re considering the morning-after pill but have questions about how it works or its safety.

Commonly sold as Plan B One-Step® or Next Choice®, the morning-after pill may reduce the chance of pregnancy. This pill is reported to work in one of several ways: stopping ovulation, blocking sperm from joining with an egg or preventing a fertilized egg from implanting—some may consider this an early abortion. It does not prevent the spread of STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections), and there are potential risks and side effects to be considered. There is no way to know which way the drug works in any one person. Read more information about the morning-after pill here.

What is the morning-after pill?
 The morning-after pill is a common form of emergency contraception. Your body and your health are important, so take time to make the best decision. Emergency contraception is any type of birth control used after unprotected intercourse or a known or suspected contraceptive failure (e.g. a broken condom) to attempt to prevent pregnancy.

Is Plan B® Effective?
Plan B® is reported to reduce the chance of pregnancy by 60-94%, depending on which study is considered. It is important to note that these figures are based on estimates of when ovulation may have occurred and not on actual pregnancy rates.

How is Plan B® Administered?
It is administered in two tablets: the first must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex and the second 12 hours after the first tablet .

Is Plan B® One-Step Effective?
One study conducted by Plan B® One-Step found that 84% of expected pregnancies were prevented. The makers of the drug claim that 7 out of 8 women who would have gotten pregnant, did not4. These figures are based on estimates of when ovulation might have occurred.

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.

Should I take the morning-after pill?
 Many times women panic after having unprotected sex and rush to take the morning-after pill (Plan B One Step® or Next Choice®). 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 . To find out if you are pregnant, contact us, and we’ll connect you with a caring, qualified pregnancy center near you.

Can the morning-after pill really 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 and hair color and growth begins. That’s 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.

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

Forms of the morning-after pill that contain the hormone estrogen carry the potential risks associated with that drug.

These include: blood clots, stroke and heart attack.

There is some evidence that the morning-after pill may put a woman at increased risk for an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy occurring outside the uterus) . Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy are similar to the potential side effects associated with the use of the morning-after pill12. It is critical that anyone experiencing these symptoms be evaluated by a physician, as an ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening.

What is unknown about the morning after pill?

There is much that is unknown about the drug, such as:

  • its effect on women 16 and under
  • its effects when interacting with other drugs
  • its effects on women with medical conditions
  • its effects on women’s ovulation and future fertility
  • its effects on fetal growth and development
  • the effects of its long-term, routine use

    • Remember, your body and health are important, so take time to make the best decision. Please contact us to get more information.

    Generic versions of the morning after pill are available and are presumed to work similarly to name brands.

    Note: Option Line and our network of participating pregnancy centers offers peer counseling and accurate information about all pregnancy options; however, these centers do not offer or refer for abortion services or the morning-after pill. The information presented on this website is intended for general education purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional and/or medical advice.

    1. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 69. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2005; 106:1443-52.

    2. Physician’s Desk Reference: 2006; Plan B®;p. 1068-69; prescribing information.

    3. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Clinical Studies.” Package insert available at:
    http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    4. Plan B® One-Step Website. “What Plan B® One-Step is.” http://www.planbonestep.com/what-is-plan-b.aspx. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    5. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Dosage and Administration.”

    6. Plan B® package insert. “Dosage and Administration.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBPI.pdf.(Accessed September 3, 2009)

    7. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Contraindications.” Package insert available at:
    http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    8. 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)

    9. FDA website, “Plan B® Questions and Answers: How Does Plan B® Work.”
    http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm109783.htm. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    10. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Adverse Reactions.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    11. Plan B® package insert. “Ectopic Pregnancy.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBPI.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    12. ACOG Patient Education Pamphlet Ectopic Pregnancy; Copyright© April 2002 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

    13. Plan B® package insert. “Pediatric Use.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBPI.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    14. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Pediatric Use.” Package insert available at:
    http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    15. Plan B® package insert. “Drug-Drug Interactions.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBPI.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    16. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Drug-Drug Interactions.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    17. Plan B® package insert. “Carbohydrate Metabolism.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBPI.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    18. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Hepatic Impairment.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    19. Plan B® package insert. “Fertility Following Discontinuation.” Package insert available at:
    http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBPI.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    20. Plan B® package insert. “Pregnancy.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBPI.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    21. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Pregnancy.” Package insert available at:,br> http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    22. Plan B® package insert. “Warnings.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBPI.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)

    23. Plan B® One-Step package insert. “Indications and Usage.” Package insert available at: http://www.planbonestep.com/pdf/PlanBOneStepFullProductInformation.pdf. (Accessed September 3, 2009)