Every terrifying myth about the Morning After Pill, debunked

Stop listening to your friends and start listening to facts. For too long, we've been perpetuating these urban legends about the moring-after pill and it's time they be debunked once and for all.

I spoke with Dr. Leah Torres, an OB/GYN and reproductive health specialist, about the myths surrounding the morning-after pill and asked her to help me debunk these rumors.

How long can you wait to take the morning-after pill?

"First, it's important to distinguish between the different kinds of 'morning-after pills'.

Plan B One Step is most effective within the first 3 days (72 hours) after unprotected intercourse.

Ella Emergency Contraception can be effective up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse.

Copper IUD can be implanted up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse and it's more effective.

All work slightly differently but ultimately they're all methods of the morning-after pill. It's best to take the morning-after pill as soon as possible. If people want to use the morning-after pill as a backup method then they should already have it in possession in say a nightstand or bathroom cabinet at the ready so as to take it as soon as possible."

Is the morning-after pill foolproof? Does it guarantee you won’t become pregnant?

"It's not foolproof. There is no birth control that is 100 percent effective. IUDs are up to 99 percent effective but even so, mother nature will find a way."

Are there women of a certain weight who can’t use the morning-after pill because it will be less effective?

"We're still doing studies regarding weight and the effectiveness of morning-after pills and different birth control methods. Regardless of weight, using the pill is better than using nothing. If there's a strong concern about the effectiveness, the copper IUD is the way to go. The jury's still out regarding ideal weight for the pill's effectiveness but again, something is better than nothing."

Does the morning-after pill stop working after a certain number of times taken?

"No. Those rumors are not true. They're probably not corrected due to the fact that women are using it as a primary method of contraception which is less than ideal. There are more effective methods of birth control out there; even natural family planning methods can be more effective. Certainly, there is no limit to how many times the morning-after pill can be used."

Can you take the morning-after pill even if you’re on the birth control?

"You can. It won’t do harm but the concern would be why aren't you using a more secure method of birth control? If you're missing taking birth control pills perhaps that's not a good method of birth control for you. It's certainly not dangerous to take the morning-after pill with your birth control pill but it should raise a red flag as to the appropriateness of your primary birth control method."

There you have it. Now, let's stop the myths and start spreading the facts. Own your sexuality and your sex life, but be educated about it. And if you have any questions? Ask your OB/GYN or consult with Planned Parenthood! They're there for you and your health and it's better to be safe than sorry.

@jenniferficarra