That “uh-oh” moment. It’s the moment when a woman realizes they forgot to use protection. It’s the a moment that could change a life forever.

Women who find themselves in this situation often fear the worst: they are pregnant.

Often, the choices are limited. A woman could sit and wait, or she could take preventative steps.

Emergency Contraceptives

Emergency contraceptives, such as the “morning-after pill,” are methods available to women who wish to reduce their chances of becoming pregnant after sex.

This form of birth control, including Plan B One-Step and Next Choice One Dose, are available over the counter without a prescription. ISU students can purchase the pills in the pharmacy of the Thielen Health Center on campus or at Planned Parenthood. The pills are also available at any pharmacy in Ames without a prescription, unless the recipient is under the age of 17.

The pills work in several ways to prevent pregnancy. Mainly, the pills prevent the release of the egg into the uterus. It also prevents sperm from fertilizing the egg or prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.

The pills can be effective three to five days after sex, but they are most effective when taken within 24 hours. Emergency contraceptives do not protect against sexually transmitted infections.

Lindsay Racey, regional director of health services, said there are potential side effects, but generally are not anything you would expect from taking any sort of medication.

According to plannedparenthood.org, contraceptive pills can cost anywhere between $30 and $65.

Emergency contraceptives can make a pregnancy much less likely to occur after unprotected sex or failed birth control. However, they are not as effective as birth control used during and before sex, according to health professionals. 

Preventative birth control

Along with emergency contraceptives, Thielen Health Center also offers other forms of birth control to students for free.

Mary Raman, advanced registered nurse practitioner at Thielen, said Thielen offers “top tier” birth control, which is one of the more effective methods and includes intrauterine devices and implants.

Thielen also offers a variety of other services, including sexually transmitted infection testing and pregnancy testing.

These services include a range of birth control, such as intrauterine devices, condoms, shots and daily birth control pills. This also includes pelvic, male genital and breast exams and sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment.

Family Planning

An unplanned pregnancy for a female college student can lead to a difficult decision: does she keep the child or not? Does she continue the pregnancy or terminate it? Resources are available for young women who find themselves in this situation and are located near Iowa State’s campus.

Racey said the Planned Parenthood clinic in Ames also offers family planning services a few days a week.

Birthright of Ames Inc. is another non-profit organization that offers assistance to those who experience any type of pregnancy, whether it is planned or unplanned. All services offered by the organization are free and confidential.

Kristine Holmes, co-director of Birthright, said they help a woman come to the decision of what she wants to do.

“We offer support and friendship for the woman to help her carry her pregnancy,” Holmes said. “We’re here to help her, give her information, listen to her, hold her hand through the entire pregnancy and do whatever she needs.”

The organization is strictly pro-life, but has no religious affiliation. Their motto and goal for the work they do is “it is the right of every woman to give birth and the right of every child to be born.”

Holmes said they do not try to make the decision for women on whether to keep the pregnancy or not.

“We’re pro-life, so we’re not ever going to say they should have an abortion,” Holmes said. “We’re here to show them how we can help them have their baby and what services Ames has. Ultimately, it’s they’re choice.”

Holmes said Birthright’s employees offer their own form of counseling, but they do not have any type of professional degree.

Birthright is run purely by volunteers. Since it is not a clinic, it can only refer women to health care providers.

The services of the organization include pregnancy testing as well as legal and medical referrals.

According to birthrightofames.org, the organization also provides information on prenatal development, birthing, child care, child safety, career development and housing. Holmes said Birthright continues to provide services after the child is born, including free baby clothes and referrals to child care providers and health care providers.

Birthright also refers women to adoption agencies if a woman chooses not to keep her child after pregnancy.

Holmes said she believes it is important for Birthright to be available for pregnant women and Birthright provides counseling to those who choose to terminate a pregnancy.

“We’re a crisis pregnancy center, but most of the time it’s not a crisis for these women because it’s more accepted in society,” Holmes said. “It’s not always and sometimes it is a crisis and that’s why it’s important we’re here.”

Planned Parenthood, located blocks away from Iowa State’s campus on Hayward Ave., is another option for women who experience an unplanned pregnancy.

Racey said when a woman has a positive pregnancy test, they do “options counseling” at that time to let them know there are three options available: adoption, keeping the child or termination of the pregnancy.

“We present the patients with all three options, no matter what,” Racey said.

The clinic in Ames offers medication abortions, but does not offer surgical abortions.

Medication abortions, or abortion pills are used up to 63 days after the first day of a woman’s last period. The pill works to block the transmission of the hormone progesterone, causing the lining of the uterus to break down until the embryo leaves the body. 

However, Planned Parenthood also offers resources for women who choose to carry the baby to term.

The clinic works with the Avalon Center, an adoption agency based out of Mason City.

Dana Stuehling, health educator at Planned Parenthood, said the clinic also offers comprehensive pregnancy services, including prenatal care up to 19 weeks.

Stuehling said one of the things the clinic prides itself on is making sure people know all of their options.

“We help the people who comes to us, regardless of their age, regardless of where they are in life,” Stuehling said. “If they are pregnant, we say, ‘here are your options and we’re here when you make that decision.’”

Planned Parenthood works under rules of strict confidentiality for its patients and will not release information if the patient does not allow it.

They also work with patients in terms of payment, working on a sliding pay scale based on income and insurance.

“Our goal is really to provide services to anyone who needs them and that includes the people who can’t afford that service based on lack of insurance,” Stuehling said.

Prevention in the first place

Thielen Health Center on campus offers free pregnancy testing but does not offer any sort of prenatal care. One way to prevent unwanted pregnancies is through education.

Stuehling said Planned Parenthood can provide that education and outreach, adding that they take a more comprehensive view of what sexuality is and educate on any of those topics.

“That includes anatomy, birth control [and] sexually transmitted infections,” Stuehling said. “We also talk about values and healthy relationships, communication, dating violence and sexual assault.”

Raman said the doctors at Thielen also offer a very individualized and personal birth control counseling.

“We know in this country about half of pregnancies [are] unplanned, which is a huge number,” Raman said. “That has a lot of implications for women’s health, infant health, how women are going to do socio-economically, et cetera.”

Raman said she has the luxury of more time, allowing her to start someone out on the right foot as far as the best method of birth control is for her.