Pregnancy Prevention, After the Fact
EMERGENCY OPTIONS
Don't confuse mifepristone, the abortion pill that may soon be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, with emergency contraception. While mifepristone can end a pregnancy several weeks old, "morning after" pills can prevent a pregnancy from starting--but only if a woman acts fast. Containing high doses of the hormones found in ordinary birth-control pills, emergency pills must be taken within three days of unprotected intercourse and are more likely to prevent a pregnancy if taken within 24 hours of sex.
They work by preventing a woman's ovaries from releasing an egg and perhaps by hampering sperm as well, says Sharon Camp, president of the Women's Capital Corp., which makes one such product, Plan B. Plan B consists of two pills containing the hormone progestin, which are taken 12 hours apart. Another product, called Preven, contains estrogen and progestin and consists of four pills, also taken in two doses 12 hours apart. Both products reduce the risk of pregnancy by at least 75 percent if taken within 72 hours, say their makers. And both are considered safe, although side effects can include nausea and vomiting.
Studies show that women with emergency contraception on hand have fewer unplanned pregnancies than women who seek a prescription after unprotected sex. Family-planning experts recommend getting and filling a prescription in advance. As Camp puts it: "You don't wait until there is a fire to buy a fire extinguisher."
This story appears in the February 28, 2000 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
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