A Friend’s Experiences with Plan B

Recently, a friend of mine asked if I would help her share her experiences with Plan B One Step and help her inform other women about common misconceptions and symptoms that go unnoticed. While she would like to remain anonymous, she hopes her experiences can help guide women who are questioning the effects of the pill.

What did you think about Plan B before taking it?

I thought it was like a last ditch resort if you really needed it. I didn’t think there would be any symptoms; I thought you just took the pill and that was it. I guess I never thought I’d put myself in that position so I never really thought about it.

Can you tell me about your friends’ misconceptions about Plan B?

My friend thought it was too late – even a day after – that if I was pregnant, I was pregnant. She thought it wouldn’t work, and that you had to take the pill immediately after having unprotected sex. Another friend encouraged me to take it for my own peace of mind – and she almost overestimated its power. She thought it was effective for much longer after unprotected sex. It goes both ways. It’s clear there’s misconceptions on both sides; It’s good to know what you’re putting into your body.

What symptoms did you experience while taking Plan B?

I was highly emotional the first day – it didn’t hit me until about 8 hours after I took the pill. You don’t expect the symptoms, and it was just an onslaught of crying. I was also very bloated, and felt stomach pain over the course of a few days. Overall gastrointestinal discomfort was heightened by Plan B… I would tell people it was actually pretty hellish – at the time it felt very horrible to go through, even though now I’m describing it the symptoms sound kind of mild – they weren’t.

Were you embarrassed to buy Plan B? Did you feel like there was a stigma behind buying it?

Yeah, I think so. My circumstances were a little bit nicer because I went to Searle (our campus doctor) instead of CVS to get it so I wasn’t judged as much, but when I asked for it I definitely wasn’t trying to call attention to myself. I said it under my breath for sure. But the pharmacist at Searle was very nice and informative.

Would you use Plan B again if in a similar situation?

I would definitely say use it in an extreme circumstance – if it’s necessary, then by all means. But I think granted the situation I put myself in, it wasn’t urgent enough to take it. I wouldn’t put myself through that because the chances I was pregnant were already very slim because I am on the pill. But it did give me a lot of peace of mind, which is great. But I’ve also heard a lot of other women with very similar negative physical experiences with Plan B. I don’t want anyone reading this to think they shouldn’t take Plan B – it’s very effective, but the reason why it works is the reason why you feel horrible. Consider if it’s worth the discomfort to take the pill – is there enough of a chance that you would be pregnant to go through a few days of physical discomfort? It really just depends on the person. It changes my outlook on protection – I now realize you can truly never undervalue that while having sex. It’s ultimately what will give you the most peace of mind.

For more information on Plan B, head to http://planbonestep.com/ and learn about uses and potential side effects not mentioned here.

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