I’m under 18. How can I get the morning-after pill?
By Amy @ Planned Parenthood | Oct. 14, 2010, 11:53 a.m.
Category: Birth Control
I am under 18. Can i get an online prescription in my state or can the local planned parenthood call a pharmacy so that i may be able to get EC.
Emergency contraception (EC), also known as the morning-after pill, is now available over-the-counter at drugstores to women over 17 without a prescription. Teens under 17 can still get EC the old-fashioned way — with a prescription. Most Planned Parenthood health centers and many other local health care providers, women’s health clinics, and hospital emergency rooms provide the prescription and the EC at the same time.
EC can reduce the risk of pregnancy if started within 120 hours of unprotected vaginal intercourse. If started within 72 hours of unprotected sex, EC can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 75 to 89 percent. The sooner it’s started, the better.
The best way young women can protect themselves is to get a prescription for the morning-after pill before an accident happens, and keep it on hand in case they need it. That way, they won’t waste time after unprotected intercourse waiting to get an appointment with a health care provider and trying to get a prescription filled.