On March 14, Gov. Jim Doyle signed a law that requires all hospitals in Wisconsin to provide rape victims with information about emergency contraception and dispense it at their request.

Typically, emergency contraceptives are given out when an assault or an error in the current method of birth control occurs, Vickie Dreessens, Student Health Services administrative director, said. The Plan B, more commonly known as the morning-after pill, is two tablets taken within 72 hours after the incident.

“We do provide it for women,” Dreessens said. “Women come in, tell their story and we discuss with them why you would or wouldn’t use it.”

Plan B is a combination of hormones and has been available at Student Health Services for over 15 years, Dreessens said. Typically it costs approximately $42 over the counter, but at Student Health Services it’s just $10.

“This is not an abortion pill,” Jackie Bodden, Reproductive Health Care Center SW Cap program director and nurse practitioner, said.

Plan B doesn’t affect eggs that have been fertilized. If a woman is already pregnant and they take Plan B, nothing will happen, Bodden said. Plan B decreases the chances of fertilization and ovulation.

In the past, area pharmacies didn’t always keep Plan B in stock, but would order it if needed, Dreessens said. Ordering the pills would take up to 48 hours for it to come in, which defeats the purpose of the pill because it needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident. By the time it would come in, it would be too late for most women.

“I have taught classes on contraceptives and have always talked about Plan B,” Dreessens said. “Our goal is to inform students about all their choices so they can make up their own minds.”

Many times women that have been raped or sexually assaulted don’t even think to ask about emergency contraceptives, Bodden said. The possibility of being pregnant doesn’t even enter their minds.

“I think the new law is great because it requires you to give information and to dispense Plan B,” Bodden said. “It still gives women the option, but it’s unfortunate that we had to have a law put into place for it to happen.”

Plan B is 90 percent effective within 12 hours of intercourse and the effectiveness gradually decreases over the next five days, Bodden said. At the five day mark the effectiveness is down to about 70 percent. The effectiveness after five days hasn’t been extensively studied yet.

On one occasion in the past, Southwest Health Center has written out a prescription of Plan B, Donna Friedman, Southwest Health Center emergency room supervisor, said.

“Individuals can come in and we wouldn’t be judging or ridiculing them because they asked for it,” Friedman said. “We treat everyone with respect and respect their privacy.”