Unfortunately, most of us have probably moved on from the age when trick-or-treating is still on the Halloween agenda, and have graduated onwards to costume parties. Many of us may also have moved on to Halloween movie marathons — perhaps the original Netflix-and-chill.
But if you're planning on hooking up, you should probably consider a pretty substantial statistic. According to data that Plan B shared with Refinery29, sales for emergency contraception tend to spike during Halloween.
Apparently, the day after Halloween was the seventh-highest sales day for morning-after pills in 2015. The data comprised the whole of the emergency contraception category, including Plan B and other over-the-counter contraceptives, such as generic brands like Take Action.
In other words, a whole lot of us were hooking up last Halloween — and then getting the morning-after pill. Which means that it's all the better, then, that Plan B and similar drugs have become so much more accessible in recent years. However, safe sex should always come first, since Plan B can't protect against STIs. Also, Plan B doesn't exactly come cheap, so if you're thinking of spending a cozy night in with a date this Halloween weekend (or any weekend, really), come prepared — and you might just save yourself a stressful pharmacy trip, à la Master of None.
The gap between what we learned in sex ed and what we're learning through sexual experience is big — way too big. So we're helping to connect those dots by talking about the realities of sex, from how it's done to how to make sure it's consensual, safe, healthy, and pleasurable all at once. Check out more here.