Little Known (Yet Essential) Facts About Emergency Contraception

The most common and well known option for emergency birth control is Plan B (a medication called levonorgestrel) . In BC this is available without prescription over the counter at the pharmacy, making it a readily accessible choice. What is NOT well known however, is that in 2014 Health Canada stated that Plan B is not effective for use in anyone with a BMI above 25. (Now, BMI is a flawed scale and methodology, but that should be the subject of another article). Given that a “normal” BMI is 18.5-24.9, it doesn’t take much to be above 25. To get an idea how this roughly corresponds to weight, this means that Plan B is less effective in those weighing 165-176lbs and not effective in anyone over 176lbs. This was quite shocking new information at the time (and may still be for you today). The alternative option is Ella (ulipristal) which is effective for those with a BMI above 25.

A second important note with both Plan B and Ella is that they are NOT effective if taken the day of ovulation or after ovulation. WHAT?! How many of you knew that? Plan B is often misused during this time (because of course, most frequently people seek emergency contraception during ovulation, when they are most fertile). This doesn’t mean it’s not ever worth using, because sperm can live in the vagina for up to 5 days, and if you ovulate during that window you may become pregnant. Plan B & Ella work by suppressing ovulation, so if you have already ovulated, they won’t work.

Viva Chorale! concert “O Love”

Viva Chorale! is directed by Caroni Young and accompanied by Shirley Bunyan.

ArtSpring, Saturday June 24, at 7.30 pm and Sunday June 25, at 2.00 pm

“O Love” Features songs of Love and Longing that are guaranteed to pull those heart strings. The concert will feature almost exclusively Canadian Composers and explores human love and love of place and community. This program will feature Elaine Hagenberg’s work of the same title “O Love”. Love of place will include many Canadian folk favourites as well as two new pieces that were commissioned by Viva Chorale Choir by Sarah Quartel and Donna Rhodenizer. Celebrate Canada with great beautiful Canadian music!

Tickets are $25 Adult, $5 Youth (18 or under) available at the ArtSpring Box Office.

There is one more option. The copper non-hormonal IUD can actually be used as a form of emergency contraception. This works because the copper creates an inhospitable environment for sperm implantation. As a result, the copper IUD is effective at any time during the cycle, not just prior to ovulation. Another advantage here is that with proper use Plan B/Ella are 95% effective if taken 24hrs after intercourse, and 85% within 1-2 days, declining to 58% within 2-3 days. The copper IUD can be inserted up to 7 days following the unprotected intercourse, and is more effective than either of these methods. Another advantage of this IUD is that then you have an ongoing effective contraceptive method (99.7% efficacy) that last 10 years.

The disadvantage of the copper IUD is it can be difficult to access. If you do not have a GP who is trained to provide IUDs you can seek this care through my practice at Madrona or at the Vancouver Island Women’s Clinic in Victoria.

Copper IUDs are recommended as the best form of emergency contraception for all women who have unprotected intercourse. Surprising but true! I hope you found this information enlightening, and I encourage you to tuck it away in your back pocket for when you or someone you know may need it!

Artcraft Opens for 55th Anniversary Year Opening celebration June 9 at Mahon Hall

'pathway' by rosalie matchett

Salt Spring Arts, the island’s community arts council since 1968, is excited to be kicking off another summer exhibition season with the opening of Artcraft on June 9. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the all-local arts and craft show – B.C.’s largest and longest running of its kind.

The annual show and sale features up to 100 artists and makers, all under one roof at historic Mahon Hall. This year Artcraft will welcome over 20 artists who have never been shown at the hall before, including people from Salt Spring, Mayne and Pender islands and regional Indigenous artists.

As part of its 2023 summer programming, Artcraft will present three Showcase Exhibitions on the Mahon Hall stage. The season opener is a joint show by Leslie Corry and Rosalie Matchett called Ingrained Patterns and Pathways. Leslie Corry’s sculptures in “The Travellers” series represent the impermanent lifestyle of a family of nomadic movers: a subculture without roots, an invisible tribe. The works are the outcome of a personal search for identity. They are made with discarded and found objects and materials which, with makeshift construction, describe the adaptable nature of the moving family. Rosalie Matchett presents a series of abstract encaustic paintings. In these works, the contrast of solid and semi translucent shapes, use of colour, the textural possibilities of the encaustic medium, and the fragments of figurative elements all function like a language, directing an emotional response to the work that is suggestive of the feeling of place, of memory and narrative.

Members of the public are invited to an opening celebration taking place from 6 to 8 pm on Friday, June 9 and an Artist Talk with Leslie and Rosalie on Friday, June 16 at 5:30 pm. Artcraft is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm through mid September.