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Webquest on Sexual Health:
 A Plan for Emergency Contraception

Prepared By: Mary Shannon & Doug McCall  
Sponsored By: www.sexualityandu.ca

 See the Teacher's Guide to this Webquest


 

Number of People for this WQ

  • 1-2 students

Outcomes for this WQ:

  • Know more about emergency contraception

  • Have a backup plan if you have unprotected sex

  • Anticipate barriers to obtaining emergency contraception 

  • Know where to access emergency contraception services

Materials for this WQ

  • Word-processing program that can create hypertext links to web pages

 Documents for This WQ

  • Assigned questions from readings

Student Tools for this WQ

Evaluation Criteria/Procedure

 

Participation  

 


 

Introduction

Accidents happen. Condoms break, you forgot in the heat of the moment, the diaphragm slipped or you were forced to have sex. In this webquest, students prepare an emergency preparedness plan to deal with this type of situation.

Task 

In this medium-term webquest about emergency contraception (EC), students gather the facts through assigned readings, identify options, visit a local pharmacy, clinic or doctor's office, assess some ads about EC and then prepare an emergency preparedness plan that includes local information and practical tips for a friend who might need this information some day.

Process

  1. Start by checking the different steps for emergency preparedness that have been identified by Canada's emergency preparedness planners for natural and technological disasters. The same steps can be used to avoid or deal with this human emergency.
  2. Read these fact sheets and articles listed below and answer these questions about emergency contraception in your own words.

  3. Return to Canada's Emergency Preparedness Web page and review the recommended steps for emergency planning. The checklist will be used to write up your emergency preparedness plan. These steps include:
     
    • Be Prepared (Arguments for Having a Plan)
    • Know What To Do Before a Disaster Strikes
    • Know What To Do During a Disaster
    • Know What To Do After a Disaster
    • Watch for Hazards
    • Expect Emotional Reactions
    • Additional Information

    You will be preparing an Emergency Contraception Plan using these headings, but, obviously, not all of the advice about natural disasters such as tornados apply to an emergency such as a potential pregnancy. This plan will be prepared using a word-processing software program that allows you to create hypertext links (e.g. Microsoft Word).
     

  4. Prepare your arguments for being prepared.

    First, check the facts about the effectiveness of various birth control methods on this fact sheet. Note the effectiveness of using natural family planning, condom alone and condom with a spermicide. What are the chances? Why do you think most health professionals recommend using the pill and condoms (dual protection).

    Visit the Planned Parenthood web page that lists the five different Public Service Announcement (PSAs) and view each PSA.

    Write a short (1 or 2 sentences) report on each PSA stating why you liked or disliked the approach used. Conclude that report by stating which PSA was your favourite.

    Now prepare three brief arguments on why people should be prepared for emergency contraception.

    (To do this, you can use the information and create hypertext lines from your document to the web page you liked best.)
     
  5. Know what to do before a disaster.

    In this section of your emergency preparedness plan, you need to prepare now, find out the actual risks you are facing and look at your own situation.

    In this case, your level of risk can be determined by reviewing these questions:

    6.  
    • Are you having or considering sexual intercourse?
    • Are you putting yourself in situations where you may have sexual intercourse that was unplanned (unsupervised parties, being alone with your partner, etc.)
    • Have you or your partner discussed birth control or condoms?
    • Do you use birth control pills?
    • Do you use a condom every time?

    Answer these questions (privately) and assess your risk of facing the disaster of needing emergency contraception.

    Now take this     Pregnancy Quiz from www.sexualityandu.ca. If you are currently at high risk, what could you do about it? If you need to know more about contraception, what will you do about it?

    Now, in your Emergency Contraception Plan, list the steps that you or others should take to reduce the risk of a disaster that needs emergency contraception.

  1. Also as part of knowing what to do before the disaster, you will now investigate local and other sources of Emergency Contraception Services available in your community.

    Pharmacies: Read     this article on the role of pharmacies in providing emergency contraception information and services. Prepare a list of pharmacies in your community. Call them to ask if they provide emergency contraception services and if they are training to do so, or if they advertise these services through signs in their stores. Read about the successful project done in Washington State and in BC, where over 800 women obtained EC services in the first eight weeks of a program that began in December 2000. As the pharmacist if they would like you to email a copy of the Planned Parenthood Article on pharmacies to them. Than them for their time.

    Prepare a list of pharmacies that offer emergency contraception services and information in your community. Include that list in your Emergency Contraception Plan.

    Doctors/Clinics: Read this web page that has tips about     talking to your doctor/health care worker about sex. Use this webpage and your local telephone book to compile a list of family physicians and paediatricians in your community. Call the doctors and clinics in your area, explain that you are doing research for this project and ask if they prescribe emergency contraception to adolescents and, if they do, under what conditions.

    Parents: Read this     web page for parents that explains emergency contraception. If you or a friend needed emergency contraception, would printing off this page be helpful to these parents?

    If so, make note of the URL for this web page in your Emergency Contraception Plan.
     

  2. Know what to do during a disaster.

    There are two big barriers that people face when they may need emergency contraception.

    • putting it off (hoping that it might not be a problem
    • encountering resistance from health care providers who could provide these EC services

    The solution to the first barriers is simple but still very hard to do. Most people are embarrassed when they make a mistake or if they are worried, nervous, or frightened. Try to contact a health professional as soon as you can. The effectiveness of emergency contraception declines after 72 hours.

    One way to overcome this is to get help from a friend, a trusted adult or parent. Remember, the consequence of not doing anything may be worse than embarrassment.

    The second barrier can be overcome by knowing how to access EC services and by being persistent. Read the     Tips for Access on the lower right hand side of this web page from Planned Parenthood.

    Summarize these tips and your strategies to overcome your embarrassment/fear into your emergency contraception plan. Consider having a link to the Planned Parenthood Tips for access as part of your EC plan..
     

    3.
  3. Know what to do after a disaster.

    Once a person has accessed emergency contraception services, they may experience certain side-effects. Read the assigned readings in     Step One again and prepare some brief points about these side-effects in your emergency plan.

    A person may also be pregnant before they used the emergency contraception, and they may need to think about their options to respond to a pregnancy (adoption, keeping the baby, etc.)

    Before this decision is faced, read the     fact sheet on pregnancy testing.

    Summarize the fact sheet for your emergency contraception plan. Consider adding links to the fact sheet you have just read as part of the summary.
     

  4. Watch for hazards.

    Even if a person uses emergency contraception successfully, there is a risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection from unprotected sexual intercourse, anal sex or oral sex.

    Read about STI in     this section of www.sexualityandu.ca web site and from this fact sheet published by the Canadian Health Network.

    Summarize the information into a brief sentences or point form for your emergency contraception plan. Consider if you want to include a link to the pages you have just read.
     

  5. Expect emotional reactions.

    None of us can go through an experience that requires us to access emergency contraception and not have strong emotional reactions. It is normal to have these reactions.

    If a person does not have someone close and trusted to talk to, they can always call the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or visit their     website.

    If there are local youth help lines, youth centres, teachers, counselors, clinics, church groups or other organizations in your community that a young person can call to discuss problems like this, include them in your Emergency Contraception Plan.

    Finish up this webquest by using section 4.3 of your     Personal Health Journal to record your private responses to some of the issues raised in this webquest. How would you feel if you or a close friend had to face the decision to use emergency contraception?

How Your Work will be Evaluated

Your answers to the assigned questions in Step Two  will be part your evaluation.

Your Emergency Contraception Plan will be assessed using an adapted version of the Evaluation Criteria for a Personal Health Action Plan.

Conclusions and Extensions

If you have a friend who should think about emergency contraception, visit www.sexualityandu.ca site and return to the initial page on emergency preparedness. Cut and paste the URL from that page into one the page's E-mail postcards.

Type in a brief message to your friend and refer them to the page. You can also let them know that you have this emergency contraception plan prepared if needed.