Emergency Contraception

Did you have intercourse without using contraception?

Did a condom break during sex?

Have you been sexually assaulted?

It’s time to consider Plan B!

Midwest Health Center for Women now offers Plan B emergency contraception on a walk-in basis during normal business hours!

What is it? Plan B emergency contraception is not abortion, but can prevent the need for one. Plan B is two tablets of progesterone (one of the hormones in most birth control pills) and it works primarily by delaying ovulation, but also by inhibiting fertilization or changing the lining of the uterus so that a fertilized egg cannot implant. Plan B can be taken for up to 120 hours after unprotected sex, but is more effective the sooner you take it.

How do I get it? The FDA ruled in August 2006 that Plan B is safe enough to be sold over the counter, without a prescription, to women 18 years of age or older. Women under the age of 18 will still need a prescription. Midwest Health Center for Women is a convenient place to buy Plan B at an affordable price. And if you are under the age of 18, you can receive your prescription and the medication from one of our clinicians and save yourself a visit to the pharmacy.

How much does it cost? While you can get Plan B from most pharmacies for about $45, it costs only $20 to get it at MHCW. Since Plan B is more effective the sooner you take it after unprotected sex, many women’s health professionals recommend having it in your medicine cabinet at home so it’s handy when you need it!

For additional information on EC, you can visit:
www.backupyourbirthcontrol.org or www.cecinfo.org
For information on accessing EC nationwide
call 1-888-NOT-2-LATE (1-888-668-2528)

If you live in the Twin Cities Metro Area and need Plan B after our normal clinic hours (8am-5pm M-F, 8am-1pm Saturdays), you can go to Hennepin County Medical Center’s inpatient pharmacy (located in the Red Block Building) to get Plan B at an affordable cost.