Emergency Contraception:

What is Emergency Contraception?

Emergency contraceptives are methods of preventing pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse. They do not protect against sexually transmitted infections. Emergency contraception can be used when a condom breaks, after a sexual assault, or any time unprotected sexual intercourse occurs. Do not use emergency contraceptives as your only protection against pregnancy if you are sexually active or planning to be, because they are not as effective as any ongoing contraceptive method.

i've used ec. it wasn't a lot of fun, but at that point in my life (as well as this point in my life) any babies i conceived would have likely been substantially disabled due to my medications, and taking the chance of actually getting pregnant when i was a) not financially independent, b) depressed and getting more so, c) closer to getting kicked out of college than i'd have liked to be, and d) not living on the same continent as the prospective father... well... didn't seem like the best idea, not even going into the discussion about whether or not i'd be able to raise a seriously disabled child.

here's how it works. first, you panic, when you realize that your normal contraceptive method didn't work (broke, forgot to take it, it fell off, whatever). then, you go find a provider of ec who is near you, and you make an appointment. (usians and canadians, look here.) make sure you tell them what you need to see them about; timing is important. you go in for the appointment, and they give you ec. it's pills. you take some there, and they usually give you some to take home to take at a later time, as well. then, you go home and wait. the waiting is occasionally interspersed with nausea. if you're prone to nausea, tell the clinic, and maybe they can do something about it. in any case, try not to throw up, and if you do, call the clinic and let them know. wait until the second set of pills is due; take them. shortly after this, your period will start. hopefully, during all this time, you've been thinking about how not to need to do this again, because while i'd rather take ec than have an unplanned pregnancy at this point in my life, i'd rather make sure i have a reliable contraception method that doesn't include nausea and heavy bleeding than take ec.

if anyone is wondering about any of this, feel free to email me. betsy at cavort dot org.