Can I ask you a personal question?

💊 What exactly is Plan B?

If you’re having sex, you’ve probably not only heard about Plan B but contemplated taking it (or gone ahead and done so). In fact, according to The Kaiser Family Foundation, 34% of women aged 15-24 and 36% of women 25-34 have taken emergency contraception at least once. 

So yeah, it’s popular. But what exactly is it? Emergency contraception, colloquially known as the morning-after pill or Plan B (the brand that achieved category descriptor status a la Kleenex and Bandaid) is a form of backup birth control. Unlike the pill, emergency contraception can be used up to several days after sex and still be effective in preventing pregnancy. There are a few different types, but the most popular is Plan B One-Step: a pill that contains 1.5mg of levonorgestrel, a synthetic hormone that’s actually used in birth control pills. And it works in a similar way – essentially stopping or delaying the release of an egg from your ovaries – but with its higher dose of levonorgestrel, it can be effective within 72 hours after unprotected sex (though the earlier you take it, the better!). The key word here is contraception. The morning-after pill is not a form of abortion. If you’re already pregnant, it will not terminate a pregnancy. 

Is it true that you can only take it a few times?

According to Plan B, Planned Parenthood, and all of Google (lol not to say that Google is always reliable…but in this case, the point is that we have consensus) there is no limit on how many times you can safely take Plan B. Nor is there any risk associated with taking Plan B while on the pill after missing a day. However, it shouldn’t be used regularly instead of birth control because it’s not as effective, and that’s not what it was designed for. Whereas IUDs (tbt to our IUD piece) are 99% effective when used correctly, Plan B is only 89% effective (though it rivals the pill, which is 91% effective). But we get it, life happens, condoms break, and you miss a day. And it’s good to know that you can rely on Plan B (or its new, hip alternative, Julie) for as many times as you find yourself needing a plan B. 

How can I get it?

Luckily, access to the morning-after pill is generally quite strong nationwide. It can be purchased not only over the counter at drugstores and pharmacies across all 50 states but it can also be ordered discreetly online with options for next-day delivery thanks to the likes of Amazon. That said, because time is very much of the essence in the case of emergency contraception, proactively stocking your medicine cabinet with a Plan B or making the quick trip to the pharmacy might be a safer bet than waiting anxiously for a package delivery. While Plan B generally costs between $40 and $50, many vendors also offer cheaper generic alternatives like Option 2 or My Way for closer to $10 or $15. Though a prescription is not needed to obtain a morning-after pill, it is covered on most insurance plans only if prescribed by a medical provider.

Will I always have access to it?

As we saw above, the morning-after pill doesn’t terminate pregnancy. It delays ovulation that could potentially lead to pregnancy. So at the end of the day, emergency contraception is still just that: a form of contraception. As such, it’s protected by the same Supreme Court rulings that protect access to other forms of birth control, like the pill. These court decisions most notably include Griswold v. Connecticut, which established that the “constitutional right to privacy encompasses the right of married people to obtain contraceptives,” and Eisenstadt v. Baird, which extended the same right to unmarried individuals.

And while some states have adopted measures to limit access to emergency contraception, such as by allowing pharmacies to refuse to dispense the morning-after pill, the overturning of Roe v. Wade did not directly jeopardize or prompt the revisiting of these Supreme Court decisions currently protecting contraception. On top of this, public opinion of emergency contraception remains remarkably positive, as well, with roughly 70% of all Americans supporting its legality. Interestingly, however, a 2023 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that as much as 73% of the US adult population incorrectly believes that the morning-after pill can terminate a pregnancy in its early stages. One has to assume that if this misconception were less widespread, support for access to Plan B and its generic counterparts would be even higher.

So…should I hit him with the Venmo charge? 

Nothing like taking everyone’s (least?) favorite debate of “who should pay for the date?” and upping the stakes a bit. We’ll probably surprise exactly zero people by saying that any self-respecting sexual partner of yours should also respect you enough to contribute to or fully cover the cost of emergency contraception. But we’d also like to add that in this case, financial concerns are absolutely secondary to the #1 concern of promptly and confidently taking care of your reproductive health. So yeah, have no shame rattling off that $10 - $50 Venmo request discreetly titled “💊🚼🙅‍♀️”, but also do so once you’ve already washed down that 💊 with a nice glass of water.

Let us know what you think by voting in our poll and leaving an anonymous comment.

👀 You should also know…

👅 Olivia Rodrigo’s Gutsy Vote for the Morning-After Pill: In May, pop star Olivia Rodrigo gave out free emergency contraceptives at her Guts tour. After backlash re: kids being present, the initiative was pulled, but we love the sentiment.

💊 Making Plan B Cool Again: After making pimples cool through her brand Starface, Julie Schott is back with a Gen Z-approved emergency contraceptive brand, Julie. She’s all about making “coming-of-age experiences” less uncomfy, and we’re here for it. 

💌 Up Next

That’s all for today! If you liked this edition of Not That Personal, we think one of your friends probably will too – refer one (or two or three) below.

Have something to say? We’d love to hear it – reply to this email or leave an anonymous comment here.

Up next: So…who should pay for what in a relationship?

💖 S & J