Emergency Contraceptive Pills ("morning-after pill")

 

Did you know that emergency contraception is now available

"over the counter" in Health Services and at local pharmacies to women,

age 18 and over?  Click here for more information.

Emergency Contraception (EC) is intended to prevent pregnancy if taken within 120 hours of a known or suspected contraceptive failure or unprotected intercourse.  It should also be considered if sexual intercourse occured in any of the following settings:

• If you take oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and miss 2 or more pills in a row in a single cycle or if there is a delay of 2 or more days in starting a new pill pack.
• If you use the Patch (Ortho-Evra) and it is left in place for over 7 days, or not worn for over 24 hours (during active dosing weeks) or if there is a delay by 1 day or longer.
• If  you use the Vaginal Ring (NuvaRing) and leave it in place for over 4 weeks or it slips out of the vagina for 3 or more continuous hours.
• If you use Depo-Provera injection and injection is delayed by 14 days or longer.

 

EC is more effective the earlier it is initiated.   To learn more about emergency contraception, click here.

 

Available to TCNJ students at:

• TCNJ HEALTH SERVICES: 107 Eickhoff Hall, M-Th: 8:30am-6:00pm, F: 8:30am-6:00pm, Sat: 9-11:30am during the semester. Call 609-771-2889 for an appointment (Cost: $20; $10 if enrolled in the current Student Health Insurance Plan). 
• PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF THE MERCER AREA, INC. AT TCNJ: 107 Eickhoff Hall, Tu and Wed: 10am-6pm.  Call 609-771-2110 for fees and an appointment. Open only during the Fall & Spring Semester.
• Off-Campus Sources for women 18 years of age and older:
  • The Robbins Pharmacy, 2108 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ
  • Quick-Chek Pharmacy, 1535 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ
  • Your local pharmacy

• Off-Campus Sources for women under 18 years of age:
  • www.GETTHEPILL.COM: on-line prescriptions for emergency contraception.
  • www.EC.PRINCETON.EDU to locate a provider near you.
  • www.PLANNEDPARENTHOOD.ORG to locate a provider near you.

EC (as with all oral contraceptives) does not protect against infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).  If you are at risk for pregnancy, then you are at risk for STIs. Please make sure you follow-up with an appointment for STI screening..

Do not use EC for as your only protection against pregnancy if you are sexually active or planning to be because they are not as effective as any ongoing contraceptive method.

 

Sexual Assault

If sex was not consentual or you are unsure as to what happened because of impairment of some kind, please seek medical attention right away, especially if you are injured. If you would like to be seen in Health Services, please call our office at 609-771-2889. For more information about Sexual Assault, see the Office of Anti-Violence Initiative (OAVI) web site (click here).

The sexual assault and domestic violence confidential 24-hour hotline number for the Mercer County area is 609-394-9000 (Womanspace).

For more information about sexual assault, please click on the following links:

• RAINN - The Rape, Abuse, and Incest Network
• 4Woman.gov - The National Women's Health Information Center
• Womanspace - Stalking - the Law in N.J.
• New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault
• Mercer County Prosecutor's Office - Sexual Assault
• Sexual Assault Care Centre - a Canadian site with excellent information (please remember that some information pertains only to Canada).