ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Be Prepared is State Line Abortion Access Partners’ program which provides free emergency contraception (EC), often known by the brand name Plan B, for the Southewest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee region. If you would like to receive or distribute free EC kits, we would love to work with you to provide this service in your community.
WHAT IS EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION?
Emergency Contraception is a form of backup birth control that can be used several days after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure to prevent pregnancy. You may want to use EC if a condom broke, if you missed taking some of your regular birth control pills, if you had unprotected sex, or if you were a victim of sexual assault. EC does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases. EC does not terminate a pregnancy.
SLAAP is providing access to free emergency contraception. Many people that need EC in our region are forced to forego it due to the sometimes prohibitive cost, inability to obtain the medication within 72 hours of unprotected sex, or the potential stigma related to purchasing in person. Be Prepared is able to distribute this important reproductive health medication at no charge to the patient, (discreetly by mail if needed) and with a quick turnaround time. We encourage anyone that might need this medication to pick up a kit or request one be mailed to them. It’s better to have it on hand and not need it than to need it and not have it. (Most emergency contraception has a shelf life of about two years before it expires).
WHAT’S IN A BE PREPARED KIT:
2 emergency contraception pills
1 Plan B One-Step Fact Sheet
2 pregnancy tests
2 condoms
2 lubricants (or lubes)
COMMUNITY DEPOTS
The Be Prepared program would not be possible without the support of our community depots.
Community depots are organizations and businesses that serve as public sites that people seeking emergency contraceptives can visit to pick up a kit during the depots’ normal operating hours.
Are you interested in joining us as a co-conspirator to increase access to Plan B? If so, please email [email protected] for more information.
ACCESSING FREE EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION
Currently, there are two ways to access free EC from SLAAP. We can direct you to a community depot near you where you can pick up a Be Prepared kit from staff during their normal business hours.
Or
If you’re unable to access a local depot we can coordinate a drop off or shipment of a kit.