A friend of mine said that the only birth control she uses is the morning-after pill. Is that safe?

— J.Y., New York

I’m curious to know if she’s taking Plan B or RU-486. Plan B is available over the counter with no prescription. It prevents pregnancy by flooding a woman’s body with a mega dose of progesterone. It works by either preventing or delaying ovulation and may interfere with the fertilization of the egg. It’s nowhere near as good as condoms or regular birth control pills in preventing pregnancy, and is between 15 and 25 percent less effective.

Plan B has been described as safe and harmless with mild side effects, but there’s no way pumping a megadose of hormones into your body is good for you. The internet is full of women writing on message boards and... Leer Más