Tuesday, September 16, 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 5
Health center provides 'morning-after' pill to women needing emergency contraception
By Sarah Chadwick
schadwick@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
While many women know their birth control options, there are still many students who do not know about the "morning-after" pill, Watkins Health Center staff members said.
The morning-after pill, also called emergency contraception, may be taken 24 to 72 hours after sex to prevent pregnancy.
The pill is intended to be a one time emergency birth control method, said Myra Strother, Watkins Health Center physician.
It may be used if a woman forgot to use birth control, if the birth control failed or if the woman was raped.
"The method is 75 percent to 99
percent effective, depending on the studies," Strother said. "Most studies say 99 percent."
The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in February, but many students still are not aware it is an option.
"We want students to know about it," said Candyce Waitley, coordinator of Health Education and Promotion at Watkins.
"I'm surprised how many students don't know about it," she said.
The pill prevents or stops ovulation, disrupts fertilization or prevents the woman's egg from implanting, depending on where a women is in her menstrual cycle, said Wailley.
"The method is 75 percent to 99 percent effective depending on the studies. Most studies say 99 per cent."
Myra Strother Watkins Health Center physician
Most brands of the pill will work, but Ovral, the type prescribed at Watkins, is the most effective, according to the FDA.
If a woman became pregnant a month or more before and was not aware of it and then took the morning-after pill, there would be no harmful effects, according to studies done by the FDA.
"It will not abort or stop a
fetus from growing." Strother said. "If the egg is implanted, this little bit of hormone will not hurt the fetus or harm its growth."
Most women that take the morning-after pill experience some nausea. Strother said.
Because of this, patients are given Reglan, an anti-nausea medication to be taken one hour before each dose of the morning-after pill. The pills are taken in two doses 12 hours apart.
The student will take a pregnancy test and sign a consent form before taking the drugs, Strother said.
Students interested in taking the morning-after pill should visit Watkins as soon as possible after unprotected sex—no more than 72 hours later—and have a check-up with a physician.
The cost of the pregnancy test is $14 and the pills cost $13.50.
Morning-After Pill
Information:
The morning-after pill prevents ovulation, prevents the egg from implanting or disrupts fertilization, depending on where a woman is in her menstrual cycle.
The oral contraceptive Ovral is available at Watkins for $13.50 as an emergency contraception method.
The morning-after pill should not be used more than once or twice as a means of emergency contraception.
Information is available by calling Watkins at 864-9500 or at http://www.ukans.edu
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