Emergency contraceptives widely available in Alamance

Jessica Patchett / Editor in Chief

Emergency contraceptives are widely available and accessible to women in Alamance County, despite regulations prohibiting over-the-counter dispensing of the drug.

Emergency contraceptives can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 – 120 hours after unprotected sex. The pills are administered in two high bursts of hormones, stopping a fertilized egg from implanting.

One of the most popular misconceptions about ECPs, according to Katherine Parrish, director of student health services at Elon, is that they terminate pregnancies. In fact, women should not take ECPs if they are pregnant, as exposure to hormones could damage a fetus. Ellington Health Center dispenses ECPs on-site to students for $15, following a medical consultation.

Women should consider obtaining emergency contraceptives if other contraceptives failed or were not used, according to Parrish.

According to several local medical workers, ECPs are generally safe. Side effects usually include irregular periods, nausea and/or vomiting, headache, breast tenderness, dizziness and fluid retention.

Kendra Ginger, a medical center assistant at Planned Parenthood in Greensboro, said frequent use of these high hormone drugs, some a combination of estrogen and progestin, others progestin only, can cause blood clots, heart attack, liver damage and high blood pressure. Planned Parenthood accepts walk-ins and dispenses ECPs for $35.

“A myth is that people use it as a form of birth control,” Ginger said. “Most people are eager to start a birth control.”

Ellington Health Center nurses give ECPs to patients only twice.

”It’s for the safety of the students,” Parrish said.

Alternatives to the Ellington Health Center and Planned Parenthood include visiting an OBGYN, the Alamance County Health Department or a family practitioner. However, to visit many of these practices, women would need to become a patient, undergo a physical exam, a consultation and be prescribed the medication – which can range anywhere from $50-$150 for office visits in addition to $20-$30 for the medications. Prescriptions written by practitioners can be filled at local drug stores such as CVS and Eckerd, but not Wal-Mart, which is under a national policy not to dispense emergency contraceptives.