Do I need Plan B?

[ms.daybyday]

I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend yesterday night(9/12). I take full responsibilty for it and I deeply regret doing it but I can't change that. Anyway, I was not fertile at the time as I am supposed to begin menstruating tomorrow(9/14). He pulled out before he was even close to finishing and then finished on my back. I am not concerned with him finishing inside of me. I am concerned with the possibility that I may become pregnant because I had unprotected intercourse with him and came into contact with his pre-cum. So, what I would like to know is: 1. Is there a high chance that I am or could become pregnant? 2. Should I try to get Plan B (as in, is it necessary)? 3. If I get my period tomorrow, am I not pregnant even though I had unprotected sex? Please help me. Any assistance will be GREATLY appreciated.
p.s. I am trying to get Plan B at the moment but my boyfriend and I are having a difficult time trying to find the means to get it so the earliest I could have it is tomorrow afternoon(9/14). Also, I have been taking 500mg of vitamin C every hour or so because I have heard that it can prevent a pregnancy.

[Heather]

Unless you've been charting your fertility -- that's daily charting of cervical mucus, basal temperature or both -- for at least a few months, have had regular patterns in that time and know how to interpret them, I don't advise basing choices like this on whether or not you think you're fertile, since you won't have the level of information needed to know that with any real accuracy.

Instead, I'd base them on what activity you were part of, if it is one that does or doesn't pose pregnancy risks, and what, if any, methods you used properly and have no evidence failed -- or that you DO have evidence failed or may have, or know you didn't use.

If you are saying here that you had unprotected intercourse, that's something that poses high risks of pregnancy (And STIs), so if you don't want to take a big risk of pregnancy, then yep, I'd advise using emergency contraception.

If you're saying you had intercourse using only the withdrawal method, and using it properly (which it sounds like), then you'll just want to figure out if you feel comfortable with only the level of protection that provides (perfect use of withdrawal is estimated to be about 96% effective in one full year of use) or not. If not, then again, EC would be the way to go.

Vitamin C isn't associated with the prevention of pregnancy. Some people have used it to attempt to terminate an existing pregnancy, but there isn't any real data that really has shown the efficacy of that, either. Plus, the level which would theoretically be needed for that to have a chance of doing that is a level of Vitamin C that is considered to be toxic, so even trying to terminate a pregnancy with that isn't so wise, especially if and when someone has safe, legal and medical abortion options available to them.

You say you want Plan B, but are having trouble getting it: is that trouble financial, based on not being able to get to a healthcare provider or pharmacy, or both? Would you like help with either or both of those things?

[ms.daybyday]

We usually use a condom when we have sex. It was only this one time that it wasn't protected (never again mind you!). I have heard that because I *luckily* wasn't fertile at this time and he urinated before sex and then I only had internal contact with his pre-ejaculate, that it'd be very unlikely for me to become pregnant. Is this true? Also, if I get my period tomorrow, could I still be pregnant or does that mean I am most likely not pregnant? We have access to a pharmacy; however, coming up with $50 for a pill is a struggle. My boyfriend is going to borrow the money from a friend and pay him back but that still won't be until tomorrow afternoon.

[Heather]

Again, unless you're charting daily and have been for a while with regular patterns, and the education needed to interpret them properly, I really wouldn't advise you assume anything about your fertility. Periods alone just aren't enough information to have as accurate a sense of that as one can, and as, I'd say, a person rely needs to base choices on that. (If you have been doing daily charting for some time, with regular patterns and have learned how to interpret them properly, and you had intercourse at a time you've clearly and accurately estimated as not being a fertile time for you, then this wasn't unprotected, this was you using FAM as one method, and you would then have had the level of protection that method can provide.)

Like I said, in perfect use, over the course of one year, withdrawal is estimated to be 96% effective. Estimates with perfect use of that method are all we have to work with, so that's how effective we can assume it to be in proper use (which means pre-ejaculate is the only fluid you would have been exposed to). That's how likely/unlikely pregnancy from perfect use of that method in one year -- we can't have effectiveness rates for things per use -- is.

If you begin to menstruate, then yep, it's safe to assume a pregnancy did not occur and is not going to occur from any sexual activity in your last cycle.

You may have other options with Plan B besides those with that $50 price tag. Are you insured? If so, and your insurance covers contraception, it may cover Plan B, or only ask for a small co-pay. If not, can you get to any local public health clinics, or clinics like Planned Parenthood? If so, you can get Plan B for anywhere from no-cost to low-cost.

[ms.daybyday]

Okay. Thank you so much for your help!

[Heather]

Sure thing! Anything else I can help you with today?

[ms.daybyday]

Eh not if you could magically take my anxiety away while waiting for my period tomorrow xD Even though I had sex two days prior to the start of my period, it's definite that I am not pregnant? I'm just clarifying to make sure I entirely understand the advice you are providing me

[Heather]

Alas, I lack Anxiety-Poofing Power. If only! But anxiety is something we can all manage, so we don't need to make it go away to deal. We just need to do things to help ourselves cope with it when it happens. Do you have some things you do for yourself when you're feeling worries, stressed or anxious, kinds of self-care and anxiety management? If so, are you doing some of those things for yourself today?

I can't be a pregnancy test either, telling people if they're pregnant or not. However, no one who is going to become pregnant from intercourse is already pregnant within one day: conception takes longer than that, so even if you are GOING to become pregnant from this, I can say that you aren't yet, because that's just not how pregnancy works. But what I can't do is predict if a pregnancy will occur because of this or not.