Plan B Gets a Second Chance

Okay.....this ongoing battle in the United States over whether or not Plan B (the morning after pill) should be available without prescription has me confused. Has the scientific evidence not shown that it is safe and effective? Does the Bush administration think that women are complete idiots? That we are not capable of taking two pills in one day?



In Canada if one wishes to obtain the morning after pill, all they need to do is go into a Pharmacy and speak with the pharmacist. It costs anywhere from $15 - $30 and directions on how to take the pill and it's possible side effects are clearly explained to the customer before the transaction is completed.

Safe, economical, and non-invasive.......and I certainly don't see debauchery and immorality running over into the streets.


Here are some facts about Plan B or EBC (Emergency Birth Control) as presented by emergencybirthcontrol.org


Widespread use of EBC could prevent 1.7 million unintended pregnancies and 800,000 abortions each year in the United States alone.

EBC does not cause an abortion.

EBC pills contain exactly the same drugs and work in exactly the same way as regular birth control pills.

EBC cannot terminate a pregnancy that has already begun.

A woman doesn't become pregnant until 5-7 days after having sex. EBC works after a woman has sex but before she becomes pregnant.

EBC pills can be taken up to 3 days after having unprotected sex, not just on the morning after.

EBC pills are up to 89% percent effective if taken within 3 days after having unprotected sex, and up to 95 % effective if taken within 24 hours. On average, for every 100 women who use EBC only 1 will become pregnant.

Medical science defines the beginning of pregnancy as the successful implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. Medication that works before pregnancy begins is by definition not abortive.

EBC pills can have side effects including nausea, vomiting, headache, irregular bleeding, breast tenderness, and abdominal cramping.

EBC pills are safe for most women to use and have no long-term negative effects.


Here's a small run down from wikipedia about the controversy in the United States

On December 16, 2003, an advisory committee to the FDA recommended that Plan B be made available over the counter. The committee voted 23 to 4 to recommend Plan B be switched from prescription to OTC (over the counter) status. The committee unanimously voted 28 to 0 that the data demonstrated Plan B was safe for use in an OTC setting, and unanimously voted 28 to 0 that there was not evidence that OTC availability of Plan B leads to substitution of emergency contraception for regular use of other contraceptive methods.

However, in May of 2004 the FDA refused this strong recommendation and prohibited over-the-counter sale. The FDA claimed that this was due to limited experimental data on the effects of such pills on girls under 16 years of age, but critics have accused the FDA of basing the decision on political pressure.



Since December 2000, the official policy of the American Medical Association (AMA) has been to support Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of over-the-counter (OTC) access to emergency contraception without a prescription in the U.S. The AMA, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other leading U.S. medical organizations have passed resolutions and petitioned the FDA to allow OTC access

It's really a shame that this is still an issue.

I came across an article from the Sentinel & Enterprise that caught my attention. It starts out....

The possibility of having emergency contraception available without a prescription has Gail Frieburger confused.

"I believe in a woman's right to choose, but at the same time," Frieburger trails off and looks at her 10-year-old daughter who stands near her looking perplexed.

Is it just me or would you rather see a 12 or 13 year old girl take a pill or knocked-up? Which of the two do you think is more traumatic for a young girl? Thoughts anyone?

and to be fair the article does go on to explain key points on both sides of the issue. I especially enjoyed what Father Dennis Bradley had to say

"I think if people have more options to contraceptives they will probably have more sex,"

hmmm.....I doubt it considering there are 6 billion people on earth........mankind seems to have plenty of sex without the aid of contraceptives.

For those of you wishing to obtain EBC consult the following sites:


1-800-230-PLAN


1-888-NOT-2-LATE

General Information about Contraception and EBC can be found at the following sites:

www.emergencybirthcontrol.org
www.go2ec.org
www.advocatesforyouth.org
go2planb.com
www.reproductiverights.org