The Pendulum
NEWS
Thursday, February 26, 2004 • Page 11
Emergency contraceptives widely available in Alamance
Jessica Ratchet!
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 miscon
ceptions about ECPs, according to
Katherine Parrish, director of stu
dent health services at Elon, is that
they terminate pregnancies. In fact,
women should not take ECPs if they
are pregnant, as exposure to hor
mones could damage a fetus.
Ellington Health Center dispenses
ECPs on-site to students for $ 15, fol
lowing a medical consultation.
Women should consider obtain
ing emergency contraceptives if
other contraceptives failed or were
not used, according to Parrish.
According to several local med
ical workers, ECPs are generally
safe. Side effects usually include
irregular periods, nausea and/or
vomiting, headache, breast tender
ness, 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 prog
estin, 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 stu
dents,” 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 addi
tion to $20-$30 for the medications.
Prescriptions written by practition
ers can be filled at local drug stores
such as CVS and Eckerd. Wal-
Mart, however, is under a national
policy not to dispense emergency •
contraceptives.
Contact Jessica Patchett at pendu-
lum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
M :
A :
K :
E i
M ;
0 :
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E ;
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By faking online surveys
£arn$ 10-$125
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Earn $25>$250
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Students
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200 itiin.
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Hot Bulbs & Lowest
Prices in Town
538-0950
coupon required
Provider
Office hours
Procedure
Drug
available
Cost of visit
/ medication
Before you
go...
Contact
information
Ellington
Health Center
M*T8;30-6
F 8:30-4
Sat9- 1
walk-in;
consultation;
distribution
Plan B
no visit fee
$15 medication
patient may
only obtain
meds twice
278 - 7230
Planned
Parenthood
Greensboro
M9-7 W 10-7
Tu9-1 F 8:30-5
S9-1
walk - in;
consultation;
distribution
PlanB
no visit fee
$35 medication
can assist in
starting birth
control
373 - 0678
Planned
Parenthood
Hotline
24 hours/day
call - in;
prescription by
phone
Prescription
upon local
availability
no visit fee
servicc not
available
everywhere
866-942-7762
Westside
OBGYN
Burlington
M-F8-5
appointment:
coasuUation;
prescription
Plan B
$50-$120
office visit
will undergo a
physical
examination
538- 1880
Alamance
County Health
Department
M-F8-5
physical exam;
consultation;
by prescription
not released
cost determined
by income and
a sliding fee
must become
a regular
patient
570 - 6418
Alamance
Regional
Medical Center
24 hours / day
only considers
victims of
sexual assault
not released
$300- $400 ■
ER visit
visit only if
other options
are exhausted
538-7416
CVS
M - S 8 - I2pm
Sun 10-7
ptescription
necessary;
pick-up
Plan B only
$28.99
drug store
option can be
expensive if
227 - 7442
Eckerd
M-S9-9
Sun 12-7
prescription
necessary;
pick-up
Preven only
$17.99/$20
added to the
cost of an
office visit.
227 - 5506
Wal-MArt Mart
M-F9-9
S9-7
S'11-4
does not cany
emergency
contraceptives
does not
cmtyECPs
—
dojnothave
hotline or md
call-in here
584-1133
ECP
Corporation
Hormones
Dosage
Effectiveness
Side effects
Plan B
Womens Capital
progestin
2 pills, 1 each 12 hrs
89% within 72 hrs
Nausea,dizziness
Preven
Gynetics
progestin, estrogen
4 pills, 2 each 12 hrs
75% within 72 hrs
Vomiting,tenderness
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