Plan B is used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. This emergency contraceptive is available without a prescription for women who are at least 18 years old (for women under 18, a prescription is needed). Plan B comes in a pack of two tablets: one that is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex and one that is taken 12 hours later. Potential side effects include nausea, headaches, and fatigue.
Plan B® (levonorgestrel) is a medication that is an emergency contraceptive, which is used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. Originally, Plan B was a prescription medication. However, it is now available without a prescription for women who are 18 years old and older. However, it can only be purchased at the pharmacy counter, and you must show government-issued identification, such as a driver's license. For women age 17 and younger, Plan B is still a prescription medication.
Plan B is made by Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a division of Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Plan B contains a high dose of levonorgestrel, a progesterone-type hormone that is used in many
birth control pills. It prevents pregnancy primarily by stopping ovulation (the maturation and release of eggs from the ovaries) or by preventing fertilization of the egg if ovulation has already occurred. Plan B also alters the lining of the uterus (the endometrium), making it less receptive to a fertilized egg. If a fertilized egg has already implanted into the uterus, Plan B will not cause an abortion.
Taking Plan B within 72 hours after unprotected sex reduces the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent. After any one act of unprotected intercourse, the average woman has an 8 percent chance of getting pregnant. If she takes Plan B, that risk is reduced to about 1 percent.
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