Let’s set up a hypothetical situation: You had sex with a guy you’ve been dating for a while. He wore a condom. But you realized when the deed was done that it actually broke. Crap! Now you’re pretty terrified–you heard about Plan B, but how do you get it? What if you don’t want to ask your parents for a ride to a pharmacy to grab the morning after pill?

In New York City, a lot of girls won’t be faced with that Plan B purchasing dilemma, because 13 public schools will actually offer Plan B to students.

Students 14 and older will be able to get emergency contraception from their schools without their parents having to know. Most New york City public schools already give free condoms to students, because, well, even if they tell you not to have sex, a lot of students still do. In fact, over 7,000 New York City girls get pregnant before they’re 17–and over half of those girls wind up getting abortions. That said, having access to Plan B where girls can grab it privately will probably prevent more of those pregnancies.

It’s important to note that Plan B is not an abortion pill, because it prevents your egg from being fertilized–it doesn’t destroy anything that’s already growing there. You take it within three days of having unprotected sex or birth control failing (so if it happens on Friday night and you can’t get to a pharmacy fast enough, NYC girls can high tail it to school on Monday morning). Sperm can hang out for almost a week, so the sooner, the better. If you’re younger than 17, you’ll still need a prescription to get Plan B, but depending on where you live and what the confidentiality laws are like, you may still be able to get an Rx without your folks’ knowledge.

It’s also important to remember that there’s a reason it’s called Plan B–because it’s a backup, not a first line of defense. If you’re going to have sex, always use condoms and birth control!

That said? Basically, we think this is a great freakin’ thing. In an ideal world, everyone would be comfortable talking to her folks about sex, contraception, and, in some cases, emergency contraception. But we don’t live in an ideal world. Sometimes you’re just uncomfortable discussing your private life with your folks, and sometimes you’re actually more informed and mature than they are, or you’re scared of their reaction to your having a sex life. This will save you the precious time necessary in scary situations like this–when literally every hour counts.

Sometimes things go wrong, even when you plan ahead–and sometimes the very people who are expected to help you just don’t get it. It’s your life, it’s your body, and you need to know what all of your available options are. People are starting to finally get that. You go, NYC!

Do you think Plan B should given out at schools? Do you have a hard time talking to your parents about sex or contraception? Do you think your school would ever give out Plan B? Tell us in the comments!

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