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Plan B use increases on campus

By Joe Preiner

Friday, November 7, 2008

Having a baby does not rank highly on KU students’ list of thing to do before graduation.

According to the Watkins Memorial Health Center, the number of emergency contraception pills sold has risen by 36.5 percent during the last year.

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Photo by Jon Goering

Emergency contraceptive, Plan B, also known as the morning after pill, can be taken anytime within five days of unprotected sex and is actually two pills, not one.

Plan B, the emergency birth control pill offered in Watkins’ on-campus pharmacy, was made available over-the-counter in late 2006 after approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

Kathy Guth, nurse practitioner in the gynecology department of Watkins, said the increase in sales was due in part to the pill’s increased availability. Getting a hold of emergency birth control used to be a hassle, Guth said, because there were legal requirements and parental notification involved in the process. Offering the pill over-the-counter eliminated that need.

Last year, 763 Plan B pills were bought through the Watkins pharmacy. The pill is generally used when other methods of birth control fail, or when two people engage in unprotected sex.

Guth said the two pills in the Plan B package, which costs $24.09 at Watkins, was most effective when taken within 72 hours of sexual activity. She said when taken within the recommended time period, the emergency pill was about 75 percent effective at avoiding pregnancy. Outside of three days, the pill loses much of its effectiveness.

Lauren, Dallas senior, who asked her last name be withheld for privacy reasons, has been taking birth control pills for nearly five years. Although she has never found herself in a situation that would require her to use Plan B, she said she would take it if such a situation arose.

“I would consider taking it,” she said. “I think it’s better than risking getting pregnant if that’s not part of your immediate plans.”

Guth said most daily birth control contains low levels of two hormones, progestin and estrogen. The combination makes the pill an effective method of birth control. Guth said there was a general misconception about when birth control pills should be taken. To be effective, anywhere from 90 percent to 95 percent effective, the pill needs to be taken at the same time every day. Guth said even one missed or late pill could potentially result in pregnancy.

“There is a grace period of about an hour,” Guth said. “After that, it’s not 100 percent you’ll get pregnant, but the chances do increase.”

Elise Higgins, Topeka junior and president of the KU Commission on the Status of Women, said women who used emergency contraception such as Plan B were sometimes thought of as irresponsible people. Higgins said it was an unfortunate fact, considering the women who take the pills are just like every other woman.

Another common misconception, Planned Parenthood said, is that emergency contraceptive is a form of abortion. The hormones in the pills prevent pregnancy from occurring.

Liz Stuewe, 2008 KU graduate and former president of CSW, said the most effective method of birth control for active students was knowledge.

“In an ideal world women would have comprehensive sexual education,” Stuewe said. “But the reality is we don’t live in an ideal world.”

Stuewe said adult women were not often offered the education necessary to protect them. As a result, she said women were shamed into believing their sexuality was inappropriate. Stuewe said women should not be ashamed of seeking emergency birth control.

The side effects of birth control include blood clots, headaches and mood swings, Guth said. Guth said blood clots rarely occur, on average Watkins treats a blood clot once or twice a year. The side effects of birth control are a result of the estrogen in the pills. Guth said Plan B avoided many of the side effects because it only contained progestin.

Higgins said increased availability of Plan B was a good for women.

“The more open women are talking about things like Plan B and birth control, the more comfortable we will be asking questions about this very important subject,” Higgins said.

— — Edited by Ramsey Cox

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Comments

Plan B use increases on campus

Regarding irresponsibility, it's always irresponsible--whether female or male--to have "condom-less" sex. No OCP or emergency contraceptive pill will prevent disease.

In terms of the need for Plan B being the result of irresponsible/ill-planned behavior, true. In that instant, they were irresponsible. But, we can still show some compassion for others while encouraging people to have more foresight and be more responsible in the future.

As for Plan B preventing pregnancy, yes it does prevent implantation, however, it may not prevent fertilization. So, it really depends on one's definition of "pregnancy"--which can vary dpending on one's view of abortion. The literature on this point is not definitive.

Plan B use increases on campus

"Guth said there was a general misconception about when birth control pills should be taken"

Isn't 'misconception' the whole point of birth control?

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