Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that prevents (some people) from getting pregnant. It does not work on someone who is already pregnant. If seeking to end a pregnancy, check out PlanCpills.org for information on how to access abortion pills and Planned Parenthood for information about in-clinic options.
Despite spending my teens years walking around with a Plan B prescription in my backpack just in case anyone needed it (it was not easily available to minors in NYC at the time), I had my first Plan B experience only last year. Alfredo and I had been using condoms because I had a condom break during a one-time connection, and we were awaiting that person’s STI test results. The one-night cutie was having cash flow issues, so we didn’t know when we’d get them. Condoms became our norm as it was too soon for me to get accurately tested.
I was recovering from some kind of illness, and I remember waking up, looking at my birth control packet and thinking, ‘good thing we are using condoms – the antibiotics I’m on could fuck with the pill’s efficacy.’ And that was that. I thought about telling Alfredo but between my goldfish memory and the fact that we were using condoms, it didn’t feel urgent.
We had plans to spend time with some of Alfredo’s family on the beach so off we went. While hanging out in the sand, I receive a message from the deep-voiced one-time lover. It’s his results and everything came out negative! Wuuuu.
I was thrilled as I had been feeling guilty for the condom tearing and putting us in this position. Relief washed over me. Once home, I read the results again and passed them over to Alfredo so he could confirm what I was seeing. Then boom – barrier-less sex was had.
After we finished, it hit me. I had completely forgotten about the birth control efficacy. Once again, I felt disappointed in myself. Had I told him that morning, Alfredo would have remembered. Instead, I was now googling Plan B options in Mexico.
Plan B is effective for people who weigh up to 165lbs (though I imagine BMI is a better indicator than weight). For those with a BMI of 30 or more, there was no difference statistically in pregnancy rates between those who took Plan B and those who didn’t. Ella is an alternative for people between 165 and 195lbs. For those above 195lbs, or who have a BMI over 35, an IUD is the only current emergency contraception option.
I remembered that since my BMI at the time was over 30, Plan B would not be effective and began researching Ella. For whatever reason, I wasn’t available to go to the pharmacy, so Alfredo went solo. He returned with Plan B as there had been some confusion about the Ella, and I hoped it would be better than nothing (though statistics were not on my side).
In the end, I didn’t get pregnant but that’s not the point of this story. A day or two after taking the pill I started experiencing unexpected anxiety. It felt out of sync because it was the wrong part of my cycle for general anxiety. I googled Plan B side effects and lo and behold, anxiety is on the list.
If you’re interested in tracking your own cycle to help you predict things like anxious days, creative days, hunger shifts, and more, get my free menstrual cycle tracker!
The anxiety thankfully dissipated soon after, but I think it’s important to share information like this. Not just because I want people to feel comfortable thinking about and asking about contraception options and emergency contraceptives, but also because as consumers, we deserve to know what might happen to our bodies as a result of what we take. For example, I have tried to stay away from ibuprofen because I noticed constipation after taking 1-2 pills two days in a row despite that not being listed as a side effect on the bottle.
If you have been feeling disconnected from your body’s messages seeking to reconnect and listen, check out my self-paced course, Body Knows Best.
Understanding that anxiety is a likely side effect lets me know that if I ever need Plan B again, I can plan the following days in ways that will support me in reducing that anxiety. That kind of information and capacity to plan is important to me and I wish conversations about body awareness were more common.
What experiences have you had with Plan B, Ella, or IUDs as emergency contraceptives? Did anything take you by surprise?
Were you aware of the BMI/weight efficacy limitations of Plan B and Ella?