Emergency Contraception

If you’re having penile/vagina sex, there’s always the risk of having a condom break or having another event that can lead to pregnancy. These methods can prevent pregnancy if used within 1-3 days. Everyone will react differently to each method, and you may have serious side effects, so use caution. It’s a good idea to tell a friend what you’re doing so they can help if something goes wrong.***

Vitamin C

In the first moments after risky sex, insert a 500 mg. vitamin C tablet (non-chewable) into your vagina. Twice a day for the next 3 days, insert another 1-2 tablets in your vagina. This creates a hostile environment for sperm. At the same time, take one 500 mg. tablet orally every hour (6000 mg/day). This method does not work as well for women who are already used to taking high doses of Vitamin C, and can cause burning and irritation in the vagina. Some people get sick from taking, or after they stop taking, mega-doses of Vitamin C, so be careful.

Wild Carrot Seed

Take 1 tsp. of wild carrot seed (Daucus carota) every day for a week or until you start to bleed. This prevents a fertilized egg from implanting itself on the wall of the uterus. If you buy the seeds, make sure they haven’t been chemically treated. If you collect them, make sure you identify the plant correctly—it’s easy to confuse with poison hemlock, which is poisonous. Wild carrot is also a milder poison (it kills cows), so be careful and stop taking it if you’re getting too sick.

Hormones

The FDA was set to release the hormone “day after pill” Plan B for over-the-counter use, but changed its mind under religious pressure. You can still get it with a doctor’s prescription. Alternatively, take 4 normal low-dose birth control pills (the ones with 35 mcg of ethynil estradiol), followed by 4 more pills 12 hours later. The disruption of hormone levels keeps the egg from implanting. Some women feel very sick (tired, headaches, bloating, nauseous, etc). so this is not for everyone. Don’t use this method if you have health issues that make birth control pills dangerous for you.

***A reader pointed put that if a person with a uterus taking EC weighs more than 160 pounds, there is a high chance the EC will not work. See:

http://plannedparenthood.tumblr.com/post/68197145284/does-my-weight-affect-which-emergency