This challenge calls for breaking open a basic over-the-counter pregnancy test and swallowing the tablet inside the test believing that it is a Plan B® drug.7 The hope is that they purchased a combination product—both a test and an emergency contraceptive sold together. One of the reasons a combination product is not sold is because it would not work. Plan B® needs to be taken soon after sex to prevent pregnancy, and a pregnancy test cannot detect a pregnancy until weeks later when it is too late to take Plan B®.
The tablet found in a pregnancy test is put there to absorb moisture and keep the contents dry. These moisture-absorbing items come in a variety of sizes and forms such as tablets, packets, and canisters and are used in packaging of vitamins, medicine, electronics, shoes, and many other products. Silica gel is the most common chemical used for this purpose and in most cases is not harmful. However, if swallowed it can be a choking hazard.
