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Welcome to family planning health services (fphs) Emergency Contraception (EC) online service. Emergency Contraception is for women only.
Each year, millions of women have unprotected intercourse and are left, in the days that follow, with the fear of pregnancy and the feeling that nothing can be done. Emergency contraception gives these women an option to avoid pregnancy.
Depending on the time during the menstrual cycle that they are taken, Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs) may inhibit (stop) or delay ovulation, interfere with fertilization, or change the lining of the uterus, thereby stopping implantation of a fertilized egg.
You can obtain ECPs before you need them. Since ECPs are more effective the earlier after unprotected intercourse they are taken, obtaining emergency contraceptive pills from a clinician before they are needed is a terrific idea. Then if the need arises, ECPs can be used without delay.
Does use of Emergency Contraception cause an abortion? No, use of emergency contraception does not cause an abortion. In fact, emergency contraception prevents pregnancy and thereby reduces the need for induced abortion. Medical authorities such as the United States Food and Drug Administration/National Institutes of Health and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists define the beginning of pregnancy as the implantation of a fertilized egg in the lining of a woman's uterus. Implantation begins five to seven days after fertilization (and is completed several days later). Emergency contraceptives work before implantation and not after a woman is already pregnant. Depending on the time during the menstrual cycle that they are taken, ECPs may stop or delay ovulation, interfere with fertilization, or alter the lining of the uterus, thereby inhibiting implantation of a fertilized egg. When a woman is already pregnant, emergency contraception does not work. Emergency contraception is also harmless to the fetus and the mother.
Please note that this service is only available for residents of Wisconsin. If you are in need of EC right now, please call. For phone number or to find one of the fphs clinic locations near you, please see our contact page.
Please remember this is not a 24-hour service. If you submit an EC Assessment Form outside of fphs' normal clinic hours, you will not receive a confirmation until the following morning. If you submit an assessment after normal clinic hours on Friday, you will not receive a confirmation until Monday morning. fphs clinics are sometimes closed for special events or holidays. Contact your fphs clinic for clinic closings. If you are in need of EC and we are closed for special events or holidays, fphs has an automated system with EC instructions. Please call fphs' toll-free number at 1-866-EC-FIRST (1-866-323-4778), for EC instructions and/or to leave a message. You can also find additional information online at www.ezec.org.
You will receive an email reply confirming approval for Emergency Contraception medication. If additional information is needed prior to approval, we may need to contact you.
The cost for this service is $50.00 for the initial health assessment and is NON-REFUNDABLE. In addition, you will need to purchase the Emergency Contraception medication, which costs $25.00 if purchased from an fphs clinic and over $30 or more if purchased in a pharmacy.
If you choose to have the medication mailed overnight, there is also a $15.00 delivery charge. Emergency Contraception is available as a walk-in service at any of fphs' 7 clinic locations.
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