Misconceptions about Plan B

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Plan B was approved more than a decade ago to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, but there are still many misconceptions about it.

When it comes to Plan B, also known as the morning after pill, many young women are confused about the facts about the pill.

Some college students share the common misconceptions that they have heard.

"There's this myth that you can take the pill only three times in your life time and if you take more than your gonna have some weird side effects," said Sujin Park.

"I've heard the same thing like it could cause fertility abnormalities," Thuy Nguyen, another college student said.

Dr. Elizabeth Lorde-Rollins, adolescent health expert and OBGYN at Mount Sinai medical center separates fact from fiction.

"There's no evidence that it causes infertility. Some of the side effects that can occur are spotting, breast tenderness, occasionally you have a patient that actually becomes nauseous when she takes emergency contraception," clarifies Dr. Rollins

When it comes to buying it, the students worry there's still a stigma. Young women say they feel that they are being judged when they buy it.

"They'll ask to speak to a pharmacist privately. Over time people have become more comfortable asking," said Ian Ginsberg, a pharmacist at Bigelow Pharmacy.

If you're over 17 you can buy Plan B without a doctor's prescription and without parental consent.

However, it's not on the store shelves. You have to go to the pharmacy to get it, which means you have to go during pharmacy hours. They may ask for ID to prove your age.

College student McKenzie Beehler shared another misconception.

"I've heard that if you take a whole pack of birth control it's the same thing as taking a morning after pill," McKenzie said.

The truth is it's not the same thing. Birth control pills contain more estrogen than Plan B and too much of it is dangerous.

"It's the estrogen part that makes people nauseous. So if a person throws back say 10 birth control pills, then that person's gonna feel pretty sick to their stomach," explained Dr. Rollins

Plan B should not be used on a regular basis. Almost every other method of birth control works better when it comes to preventing pregnancy.

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