2008 Woodie Awards
The morning-after pill
By Adriana F. De Leon
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Lifestyle
Originally published: 12/7/07 at 11:39 AM CSTLast update: 12/13/07 at 3:09 PM CST
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Elizabeth Garcia, 23, who attends the University of Texas at San Antonio, was shocked when she found out about her pregnancy.
"I thought this pill was supposed to prevent me from getting pregnant," Garcia said.
Garcia and her boyfriend had been sexually active before, but on one occasion decided not to use a condom.
The following day, Garcia took pills called Plan B, commonly known as the morning-after pill.
"The first time I took the pills, everything was fine. I started my period, and I was OK," Garcia said.
On a second occasion about one month later, Garcia took the pills again because a condom had torn.
The pills did not work, and her physician told her the news about her pregnancy.
"I was surprised and scared, and I didn't know what to expect because so many things were going through my mind," she said.
Confused about why the pill did not work, Garcia researched the pill online and learned there is a small chance that a pregnancy still could occur, she said.
Emergency contraception is a form of birth control and a method to protect women from pregnancy who have had unprotected sexual intercourse.
These pills cost $40 and are available over the counter and at any women's clinic, for uncertain situations; for example, if a condom breaks, a diaphragm slips out of place or a woman forgets to take birth control pills.
Sandy Doughton, director of health promotion and outreach for Planned Parenthood, said, "Emergency contraception has a high dosage of birth control pills that can prevent pregnancy if a condom breaks."
The morning-after pill can prevent pregnancy up to 120 hours, which is five days after unprotected sex; however, the sooner a woman consumes the pills, the greater the chances they will prevent a pregnancy, Doughton said.
Emergency contraception can be very effective if used correctly. It can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 75 percent to 89 percent, she said.
There is about a 25 percent chance of pregnancy.
"They are not 100 percent," Yvonne Gutierrez, vice president of community affairs for Planned Parenthood, said.
Women cannot rely on the morning-after pill and think they will not get pregnant, Doughton said.
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