Today: Free Emergency Contraception Day!

(h/t Zenturbo and FilkerTom.)

According to their press release, today, December 6, 2006, is "Free EC Day" at participating US Planned Parenthood locations.

Call 1-800-230-PLAN to find the Planned Parenthood location nearest you. Zenturbo informs me that she knows for sure that the location in Ann Arbor, MI is participating.

Update: A list of participating Planned Parenthoods is here.

Reprise: For those of you who might have missed the scoop, our favourite biologist, PZ Myers of Pharyngula, gives us the lowdown on emergency contraception.

In short, he says:

It is a form of birth control that tells the woman's ovaries to hold off on releasing any eggs for a short while. It's called emergency contraception, because it is used by a woman who has, for whatever reason (rape, a broken condom, misplaced enthusiasm, second thoughts, anything) had unwanted sperm in her reproductive tract, and she wants to make sure that this isn't the moment her ovaries happen to pop a follicle.

Plan B is not an abortion.

Plan B doesn't help if one is already pregnant, and it doesn't affect any implanted zygotes. Pregnant women produce progesterone naturally.

Plan B gives women the ability to control, to a limited extent, when they will expel a gamete. In purely reproductive terms, it's a bit like a male's ability to control when he will ejaculate, or expel his gametes. That's it. No fertilized zygotes are involved, so that level of the birth control debate isn't even relevant. It's simple, responsible, and safe. You'd have to be insane to object to Plan B.

As I've already said, emergency contraception is handy to have around. It has a fairly long shelf life, and can be kept on hand in a cool dark place for emergencies, either your own, or your friends'.

Getting EC for free from your local Planned Parenthood certainly beats having to make a trip up here and then ponying up a week's grocery money for some peace of mind. Go take them up on the offer.