Emergency Contraception Archive

Pill and Patch Birth Control

Birth control, sometimes synonymous with contraception, is a regimen of one or more actions, devices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelihood of pregnancy or childbirth. Contraception may refer specifically to mechanisms which are intended to reduce the likelihood of the fertilization of an ovum by a spermatozoon. Birth control is commonly used as part of family planning.

Combinations of synthetic oestrogens and progestins (synthetic progestogens) are commonly used. These include the combined oral contraceptive pill (“The Pill”), the Patch, and the contraceptive vaginal ring (“NuvaRing”). Not currently available for sale in the United States is Lunelle, a monthly injection.

Other methods contain only a progestin (a synthetic progestogen). These include the progestin only pill (the POP or ‘minipill’), the injectables Depo Provera (a depot formulation of medroxyprogesterone acetate given as an intramuscular injection every three months) and Noristerat (Norethindrone acetate given as an intramuscular injection every 8 weeks), and contraceptive implants. The progestin-only pill must be taken at more precisely remembered times each day than combined pills. The first contraceptive implant, the original 6-capsule Norplant, was removed from the market in the United States in 1999, though a newer single-rod implant called Implanon was approved for sale in the United States on July 17, 2006. The various progestin-only methods may cause irregular bleeding during use.

A contraceptive patch is a transdermal patch applied to the skin that releases synthetic estrogen and progestin hormones to prevent pregnancy. They are thought to have the same effectiveness as the combined oral contraceptive pill.

The only currently available contraceptive patches are Ortho Evra, marketed in the United States by Ortho-McNeil, and Evra marketed in Canada by Janssen-Ortho and marketed in the United Kingdom and other countries by Janssen-Cilag. The patches are packaged in boxes of three and are only available by prescription. The contraceptive patch is often informally referred to as “the Patch”.

The hormones in “the Pill” can be used to treat some medical conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, adenomyosis, anemia related to menstruation, and painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea). In addition, oral contraceptives are often prescribed as medication for mild or moderate acne. The pill can also induce menstruation on a regular schedule for women bothered by irregular menstrual cycles and certain disorders where there is dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

Combined oral contraceptive use reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 40% and the risk of endometrial cancer by 50% compared to never users. The risk reduction increases with duration of use, with an 80% reduction in risk for both ovarian and endometrial cancer with use for more than 10 years. The risk reduction for both ovarian and endometrial cancer persists for at least 20 years.

For a full list of Birth Control Medications available through our service, visit our Women’s Health and Birth Control section.

Plan B

You can now buy prescription Plan B online through a licensed US pharmacy located in your region using your credit card, including the one issued by your HSA. Plan B provides a significant decrease in the risk of pregnancy when taken within three days (72 hours) after unprotected intercourse. Consider the use of emergency contraception if any of the following occurred:

Consensual, unprotected vaginal intercourse
Condom broke or came off
Three or more hours late taking progesterone only pills (mini pill)
Missed two or more birth control pills during weeks one, two or three of the 21 day or 28 day pill pack
Two or more days late starting new pill pack, vaginal ring or patch
Nuvaring¨ out three hours or longer (weeks one, two or three)
Patch (Ortho Evra) off 24 hours or longer (weeks one, two or three)
Diaphragm slipped out of place
Depo-Provera injection was more than 13 weeks ago
On antibiotics (in the previous seven days) during your current cycle of pills, patch or ring

Other items in this category include: Alesse, Diflucan, Estradiol, Fluconazole, Mircette, Ortho Evra Patch, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Seasonale, Vaniqa, Yasmin

Click any link below to complete the health questionnaire and order form or call one of our helpful customer service representatives at 1 (888) 738-3822.

Item Name Price Click to Buy

Plan

Plan B (Levonorgestrel) 1 unit 2 pills $99.95 Click to Buy


Zen Pharmacy will process your Plan B order as soon as possible. In most cases, your prescription for Plan B will be processed within one business day and shipped via FedEx overnight delivery to you. Our network of physicians and pharmacists are based and licensed in the United States so you can be confident that you are receiving only US FDA approved medications in your order. Your prescription for Plan B will be handled with care and the utmost urgency. Please contact us at 1-888-738-3822 with any questions you may have regarding your order for Plan B.

Alternative names   

Morning-after pill; Postcoital contraception; Birth control - emergency; Plan B; Preven

Definition   

Emergency contraception is a method of birth control that can be used within 3 days of sexual intercourse.

Information   

Emergency contraception is a method to prevent pregnancy in women who have had unprotected sex. It can be used following many different situations including rape, unplanned acts of intercourse, or when a birth control method fails. For example, if a condom breaks, a diaphragm slips out of place, or a woman forgets to take birth control pills.

Emergency contraception drugs are not the same as the "abortion pill." A woman who knows she is pregnant takes the abortion pill with the intent to end an early pregnancy (usually 4 to 7 weeks after conception). Emergency contraception pills are taken after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy from occurring.

Unlike most types of birth control, which must be put in place or taken before intercourse, emergency contraception can be used up to 3 days after intercourse.

TYPE OF EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION

Several types of emergency contraception drugs are available.

Birth control pills can be used for emergency contraception. You must take two to five "regular" pills together to equal one dose of emergency contraception.

Two drugs are specifically FDA-approved for emergency contraception. They are similar to birth control pills, but contain higher levels of hormones. Plan B contains levonorgestrel and Preven contains levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol.

The first dose of emergency contraception pills can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. The second dose is taken 12 hours after the first. These drugs work the best when taken as soon as possible after intercourse.

Emergency contraceptive drugs work by preventing or delaying the release of an egg (ovulation). They may also slow egg or sperm movement in the fallopian tubes and may make it harder for an embryo to stick to the lining of the uterus.

An intrauterine device (IUD) may help prevent against contraception if put into place within 5 days after unprotected intercourse. An IUD is a birth control device that is inserted into a woman's uterus by a health care provider. However, IUDs are intended to provide long-term birth control for 1-10 years.

Emergency contraception is available over-the-counter for women age 18 and older.

Emergency contraception pills prevent about 75 - 89% of pregnancies that occur after unprotected sexual intercourse. Emergency contraception by IUD insertion is even more effective.

SIDE EFFECTS

Mild and often unpleasant side effects from emergency contraception medications may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, and changes in menstrual bleeding. Nausea and vomiting are the most common. Nausea occurs about 50% of the time and vomiting about 20% of the time after emergency contraceptive pills are taken.

Some doctors recommend taking an anti-emetic medication (a drug to prevent nausea and vomiting) before taking the emergency contraception pills to prevent such side effects. Progesterone-only emergency contraceptives cause less nausea and vomiting than pills that contain both progesterone and estrogen-like medications.

After taking emergency contraception, a woman's next menstrual cycle may start earlier or later than expected and the menstrual flow may be lighter or heavier than usual. Most women will start their next period within 7 days of the expected date. If a woman's menstrual bleeding does not start within 3 weeks after taking emergency contraception, she might be pregnant and should call or visit her health care provider.

IUD placement has risks of pelvic infection and uterine injury, although these are quite rare. Long-term use of an IUD for birth control may cause side effects, such as heavy menstrual bleeding and painful menstrual cramps.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Women who believe that they are already pregnant and may have been for longer than several days should not take emergency contraception medications, since their effects have not been well studied. Also, women who have vaginal bleeding for an unknown reason should discuss this with their health care provider before taking emergency contraception.

Women who cannot take birth control pills regularly in most cases may still be able to use emergency contraceptives, but they should also discuss this option with their health care provider.

If emergency contraception fails and the woman becomes pregnant, there do not appear to be any long-term effects on the pregnancy or the fetus.

Emergency contraception should not be used as a routine birth control method, because it is actually less effective at preventing pregnancies than most types of birth control.