FACT CHECK: Do Plan B Pills Come Inside Pregnancy Tests?

Hannah Hudnall | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims Plan B pills are included inside pregnancy tests.

Verdict: False

Experts have confirmed that Plan B pills are not included in pregnancy tests. The pill found inside is a moisture-absorbing desiccant tablet.

Fact Check:

A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion suggests the court will overturn Roe v. Wade, a 1973 ruling that established federal protections for abortion through the first trimester of pregnancy, according to Politico. Legal experts warn that legal protection of birth control could be threatened if the ruling is reversed, Wired reports.

The leaked draft opinion has sparked widespread discussion about birth control. One Facebook post claims that Plan B, an emergency contraceptive, can be found inside a pregnancy test. “Why no one tell me Plan B’s come inside Pregnancy Test?” reads the post.

Similar allegations have circulated the internet for some time, including videos that show individuals pulling tablets out of pregnancy tests. The tablet, however, is not a Plan B pill but a moisture-absorbing desiccant tablet, according to experts and pregnancy test manufacturers.

“Clearblue pregnancy tests do NOT contain Plan B,” explains a 2019 Facebook post from home diagnostics manufacturer Clearblue. “All our tests contain a small desiccant tablet which is included to absorb moisture and SHOULD NOT BE EATEN.” (RELATED: Has Plan B Been Banned In Missouri?)

Dr. Karan Rajan, a doctor with the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), warned viewers in an April 11 TikTok post not to ingest the tablet. “They are a desiccant tablet used to absorb and hold moisture to extend a shelf life of a pregnancy test,” the doctor explained.

Dr. Christopher Zahn, chief of clinical practice at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, agreed the viral claim was misinformation. “This claim is false,” said Zahn in a statement to Check Your Fact. “The spread of medical misinformation, myths, and fallacies is harmful for patients.”

“Emergency contraception is not included in pregnancy tests,” said Megan Freeland, a Planned Parenthood spokesperson, in an email to Check Your Fact. “It’s important to note that emergency contraception does not end an existing pregnancy.”

Hannah Hudnall

Fact Check Reporter

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