Dear Dr. D.,

I've heard a lot about the emergency contraceptive, "Plan B," talked about around campus. How does it work, where would someone go to get it and how easily accessible is it?

Thanks,

Concerned

Dear Concerned,

Plan B. It almost sounds like something you would hear in the huddle of a middle school pick-up football game. "O.K. Bubba, go short-right for a button hook and if that doesn't work, go to Plan B, which is to circle behind the oak tree and then go long."

In actuality, Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that can prevent an unplanned pregnancy. It can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent. It is used in cases when there is a contraceptive failure (if you missed two consecutive days of birth control pills), or another birth control method failed (condom broke or diaphragm slipped), or you may have had unprotected sex or been sexually assaulted and a method of contraception was not used or known to be used.

Plan B works in a similar way to regular birth control pills, although it only contains progestin and it has it in a higher amount. It should be taken within three days (or 72 hours) of unprotected sex. The sooner you take it, the more effective it will be. It can prevent pregnancy by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary, prevent the fertilization of an egg or prevent the egg from attaching to the uterus. Plan B is not the so-called abortion pill, so it won't affect an existing pregnancy. Plan B should not be substituted for routine birth control and it will not protect you against sexually transmitted diseases or HIV. It's just a way of covering your bases if something happens that you didn't expect. Approximately 1.8 percent of MSU students reported last year that they either unintentionally became pregnant or got someone unintentionally pregnant last year, according to MSU's 2004 National College Health Assessment.

Right now, Plan B is only available by prescription and it costs around $20. The Olin Health Center offers Plan B to MSU students. You can call Olin Health Center at (517) 353-4660 for an appointment.

Dr. D.