the pill?

I'm good with saying no to things, I can put up a hell of an argument if I wanted to.

But wait, does hospitals now not have the morning after pill?

when i needed it i went to the hospital and they said that they didn't provide it anymore. it is available OTC (without a prescription) at pharmacies / chemists in Australia. I'm not sure whether that is the case where you are from. A phone call should sort that out, however.

When I went to the pharmacy there was a bit of a cue so other people overheard me asking for it when it was my turn. I needed to talk to the pharmacist before they would give it to me and so he took me to the place where the people who take methodone drink their methodone.

I think it is mostly to check that you are okay (in case you haven't reported being raped). Also to clearly explain how you are supposed to take it. Also to check that you are employing some other form of birth control (if you are sexually active generally). There really was a lot of controversy over here about whether it should be available OTC. If the abortion rate drops in consequence I'm all for it, however.

One possible side effect is nausea. You have to take two tablets EXACTLY 12 hours (I think) apart. If you feel nauseous and throw up then it won't work so you need to try and take it again. If you throw up on round two then there is probably no point moving to round three because it will be too late. When I took it I did feel a bit sick so I didn't eat anything and I stayed lying down to try and prevent vomiting.

I just mean to say... Please don't rely on this as a form of birth control. It really is pretty harsh on your body (a massive hit of estrogen) and there is a risk that it might fail.

With respect to condoms... If you do choose to use something else to suppliment the pill then I think the best line of action with your boyfriend would be the simple truth. You can tell him that you do trust that he is clean and faithful so neither of you have to worry about STD's, but that it is really really very important to you (and to him no doubt) that you not get pregnant.

Another option could be IUD or depot injection. I've heard mixed reports about the depot injection. Some people think it is about the most wonderful thing since sliced bread (and you don't have your period while you are on it) while others have problems with feeling bloated or spotting etc.

Some hospitals may not provide it. This mostly refers to those owned by certain religious institutions, such as the Catholic Church.

Is that the case in the US?

As I said it isn't provided through hospitals in Australia anymore (though I'm sure they do have it available for inpatients).

Instead, it is available OTC without a prescription from local pharmacies / chemists / drugstores.

Yeah, I meant the US. Sorry. But now that you mention it, I think they did just make it OTC here in the US, too. I'll have to double-check that.

I know I use the pill everyday, I'm just trying to learn some information if anything happens last minute.

Jess, there are a TON of really good websites out there that can give you more detailed info on different types of contraceptives. Were I you, though, I would stick to the Pill and just BE CAREFUL--like it's been said, nothing but abstinence is 100% effective for preventing pregnancy (yeesh, I sound like a health class video... hahah).

This site is excellent for info on contraception, IMO:
Gurl.com. A pretty good site, overall, and their guide to contraceptives. is really informative.

Hope that helps!

Yeah, that GURL site is great. I bought a book they put out on just about everything for girls for my niece. I think there's a new version out now.