Sure you’ve heard people talk about E.C., but you’re 
not sure about it. E.C. stands for emergency 
contraception, also known as Plan B, or “the morning 
after pill.” E.C. can be taken up to five days after 
having unprotected sex or if the condom breaks. E.C. 
is a good back up plan if you’re worried about getting 
pregnant. As explained by Diane Lamont of UCSC health 
center, “the sooner you use E.C, the more effective it 
is.” Many of you might have heard that E.C. is like 
the abortion pill, RU486, but it’s not. E.C. works by 
controlling your hormones to keep you from getting 
pregnant and the abortion pill helps you to have a 
miscarriage, so the pills are used for two different 
purposes. E.C. does not protect against HIV, AIDS or 
other STD’s, and E.C. can make you nauseous and bleed 
quite a lot, so it should not be used on a regular 
basis for birth control. E.C. is only for an 
emergency. 
E.C. can be found in all of the local pharmacies in 
Watsonville and in Santa Cruz that are listed to the 
right. Some pharmacies require that you come with a 
doctor’s prescription beforehand, but not all of them. 
So, remember: if you ever find yourself in a situation 
were the condom breaks or you didn’t use protection, 
get E.C.... before it’s too late!
CLICK HERE to see where to get 
emergency contraception in Santa Cruz.