DALLAS – In recognition of Back Up Your Birth Control Month, Planned Parenthood of North Texas (PPNT) is offering $5 off emergency contraception (EC) - a method of birth control that can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse to prevent pregnancy – at all 28 clinics throughout the month of March.

EC is a method of birth control that has been available for more than 25 years and its widespread use could help prevent an estimated 1.7 million unintended pregnancies in the U.S. each year - at least 500,000 of which would end in an abortion.

EC is only available by prescription in Texas and it is difficult for women to get a quick physician's appointment on weekends or holidays and some pharmacies may not fill the prescription or even stock EC. Therefore, PPNT is encouraging patients to purchase EC during their annual exam as a back up in their medicine cabinet if their regular contraception fails or if they are sexually assaulted, since EC has a limited window of effectiveness.

Patients may call 1-800-230-PLAN or go to clinic locations for clinics and hours of operation. EC is discounted for those receiving an annual exam. PPNT operates a pharmacy and patients can leave with EC in their hand.

Three Things You Didn't Know About EC:

1. EC cannot be used to terminate an existing pregnancy and should not be confused with mifepristone (RU-486), the early option for abortion. RU-486 is not even available by prescription; it must be administered by a physician.
   
   
2. EC is a higher dose of regular birth control pills that prevent pregnancy by delaying ovulation; interfering with sperms' ability to join with an egg; or inhibiting implantation of a fertilized egg to the uterus. (The American Medical Association defines pregnancy as an implanted embryo.)
   
   
3. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that EC be available over-the-counter in the U.S. and encourages doctors to give advance prescriptions for the medication to patients during routine office visits.

For more information on EC, click here.

For more than 70 years, PPNT has provided compassionate medical care in North Texas.  In 2005, PPNT clinics served more than 87,000 patients in its 28 clinics. PPNT also provides health education outreach to 10,000 individuals a year.

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