Can you prevent an unintended pregnancy after the heat of the moment cools down and "morning-after reality" sets in?

With the morning after pill, the good news is that that question can now be answered, "Yes."

The Emergency Contraception Pill (ECP) has been called the nation's best kept secret for women who find themselves in difficult situations.

The evidence supporting use of this medication has been known for years, but only became widely available recently.

Currently there are two commercially available products.

These are the Preven kit, manufactured by the Gynetics Corporation, and Plan B, distributed by Women's Capital Corporation.

Preven is a combination pill containing both estrogen and progesterone.

Plan B is a progesterone only version of the pill.

Both products are available by prescription through University Health Services in the Women's Health Department.

Students can go there weekdays and through the Urgent Care clinic on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., if they believe the pill is necessary.

Patients need a visit with a nurse, but there's no physical examination involved.

An ECP's primary action is to delay or inhibit ovulation by giving high doses of estrogen and/or progesterone to alter the hormonal cycle.

To a lesser extent, ECP may inhibit implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus.

It may interfere with the transport of sperm or an egg through the female reproductive tract. The medication does not last for a long time in the body.

This is because it is a hormone the woman's body recognizes and breaks down easily.

This medication does not change anything that is already present.

It does not cause a miscarriage or induce an abortion.

In some circumstances, a pregnancy test may be recommended to rule out an established pregnancy before ECP is taken.

Used within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, ECP can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent.

Studies have shown a pregnancy rate of women who have taken ECP to be two to three percent.

ECP should be used as a back up to a regular method of contraception and should not be considered a main method of birth control.

The risk for serious side effects is very small.

These include the risk of blood clot formation, heart attack, stroke and liver problems.

More common side effects include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headache, breast tenderness and menstrual changes.

Women who regularly use a barrier method for contraception, like condoms or a diaphragm, may wish to talk to their provider and get a prescription.

This can be done during the regular annual gynecology exam.

The pill is then readily available to the patient for future use if it is ever needed.

This is known as "anticipatory Emergency Contraception Pill."

Emergency contraception should not be a secret.

It is a safe and effective way to prevent an unintended occurrence of pregnancy.

For more information about ECP, call the Women's Health Department at University Health Services at 814-863-2633.

Or read about ECP on the UHS Web site at www.sa.psu.edu/uhs/ecps.htm.