Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thursday, June 18, 2009 marierose312 asks

Q: Is it safe to take plan b twice in a month.

This month I've had to take plan b twice in about a week's time. Each time the condom either had a hole in it or slipped off. My boyfriend didn't come inside of me but there is always the chance of precum so we decided to be safe and get plan b. I'm just wondering if taking it twice in the same month will be effective. The week this happened I was in the middle of my cycle. Also I know I would be able to avoid this by going on the pill so trust me I plan on getting it.

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Merely Me, Health Guide
6/18/09 9:17pm

Hi Marierose

 

This is definitely a question you could ask of your doctor but in the meantime let me see what the literature says.

 

Here is the the official Plan B site  and here is their phone number to call to ask questions:  1-800-330-1271

Here is what they say about how often you can take it but bear in mind that they are the folk manufacturing this pill:  "Plan B® should only be used in emergencies, but there is no medical reason why you can't use it more than once. Don't be afraid to use Plan B® when you need to, but remember that it should never replace routine methods of contraception as it simply isn't as effective."

 

And here is an article which says: 

 

"Single-use of Plan B is up to 89 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, with a more than 10 percent chance of pregnancy during each cycle of use. Over the course of a year, a sexually active woman who only uses Plan B for pregnancy prevention would have a pregnancy rate equal to that of a woman using no contraceptive."

 

So it seems one of the biggest dangers of repeat use is that it loses its effectiveness.

 

I would ask your doctor about this to be certain that there are no other risks. 

 

Thank you for your question.

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By marierose312— Last Modified: 11/17/10, First Published: 06/18/09