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Many of us have been there— the spontaneous casual hookup or “I-Love-You-So-Much-I-Don’t-Wanna-Use- A- Condom” sex that makes us remember, the morning after, where we dropped our better judgement and the need to rush to the drug store to purchase Plan B. But is the pill safe to use numerous times after having such encounters?
Well, it depends.
Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a clinical professor of obstetrics-gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine says that a woman should be wary of taking Plan B often because it affects their menstrual cycles. “Is it going to give you cancer? No. Is it going to give you a heart attack? No. … But you get some funky bleeding,” Dr. Minkin told Glamour. Plan B is progesterone-based, so it will trick your uterus into thinking that you’re ovulating so you can have a period. This bleeding can be a week or two long and Dr. Minkin says it’s not dangerous but still rather annoying and not even 100 percent effective.
“My major concern is that it is 95 to 96 percent effective, not 100 percent, and we can do better for folks. For example, the IUD (either Mirena or Paragard) is 99-plus percent effective, and almost anyone can use it,” Dr. Minkin revealed as she listed other contraceptive alternatives.
Dr. Minkin warrants that if you find yourself taking Plan B more than often, it’s best to schedule an appointment with your doctor about what alternatives you can use. She believes that if you want a better and healthy sex life, you should confide in your doctor about your lifestyle. “If we can do better, then why don’t we do better for you.”
