Safer Sex - FAQs

If I take the morning after pill can I still have a baby later on? Could taking the pill now affect a baby I might have in the future?

Thanks for your question.

Plan B (also known as the “emergency contraceptive pill” or “morning after pill”) is a medication a woman can take to lower her risk of getting pregnant after unprotected sex.

Taking Plan B won’t affect a woman's ability to become pregnant in the future or cause birth defects in any future babies. Plan B also won’t cause an abortion and won’t harm a developing fetus if a woman is already pregnant.

Plan B works by:

• Preventing a woman's ovary from releasing an egg.
• Stopping the sperm and egg from meeting.
• Preventing a fertilized egg from implanting (burying) into the uterine wall.

You should take Plan B if:

• The condom broke or slipped.
• You used withdrawal or no contraception at all.
• You missed some birth control pills and didn't use a condom as backup protection.
• Your Depo Provera injection was more than 13 weeks late.
• You applied your Patch late or it fell off.
• Your diaphragm slipped.
• Your vaginal ring slipped out or you were late replacing your ring.
• You were sexually assaulted.

To prevent pregnancy, Plan B needs to be taken no later than 72 hours after unprotected vaginal sex. Plan B is most effective if taken within the first 24 hours of having unprotected sex. The sooner you take Plan B following unprotected vaginal sex, the more likely you’ll avoid an unwanted pregnancy.

You can get Plan B from any Peel Healthy Sexuality Clinic for $10. Plan B is also available at most pharmacies in Peel for approximately $40.