Having spur of the moment sex can be exciting in the moment, but... What about the morning after? The next day? Many questions and/or feelings of regret may come into your mind. One of the most common questions being, "Am I pregnant?" Of course that is a valid concern. Unplanned and unprotected sex can lead to pregnancy. So, what is a woman to do?
First, take a deep breath. Count to 10. Calm your mind. Time is on your side. You don't have to make any sudden decisions. In Minnesota, you can take the abortion pill up to 10 weeks and you have up until 23 weeks to have a surgical abortion.
Next, educate yourself. Education is empowering. You want to make the best decision for you and the best way to do that is to get all of the facts. One of the ways you can do this is by contacting your local pregnancy resource center. At Options for Women of Chisago County, we will have that hard conversation with you about your options. We have an excellent resource from Minnesota Department of Health that we will use to help you with your decision. The staff at Options will provide a warm, welcoming and non-judgmental atmosphere.
The Morning After Pill or Plan B is a common go to for many women. We do not offer or refer for this pill, but we want you to have the facts. We believe that before you take a pill you should understand how it works. The Morning After Pill does one of three things depending on where you are in your cycle. It can suppress ovulation (female egg production in the ovary), thicken the mucous in the cervix which blocks sperm passage, or causes the lining of the uterus to act in a way to prevent implantation. You should also know that the chemicals used in MAP's are very similar to those use in birth control pills. Common side effects of Plan B are: heavier menstrual bleeding, nausea, lower abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, and dizziness. We also want to remind you that MAP's do not protect from STI's. So, if you have had unplanned and unprotected sex with a new partner, you may want to have an STI test as well.
