SHANNON KELLY
Perspectives Editor
Every year, more than half of the 2.7 million women in the United States who experience unplanned pregnancies choose abortion (according to Plan B’s official Web site). Whether caused by failure of the contraception being used, not using any at all or rape, Emergency Contraception (EC) could have prevented these pregnancies. Prescription EC (Plan B), which has been available since 1998, stops conception if taken within 72-hours of unprotected sex. If conception has already occurred by the time a woman takes the pill, she will still become pregnant so comparing EC to abortion is scientifically incorrect.
Unfortunately, the prescription-only method made it difficult to obtain the drug within the three-day period during which it is effective. Instead of taking the preventative option in the immediate days following unprotected sex, most women without access to EC (and who were unwilling or unable to have the child) had to wait until they became pregnant to opt for a much more devastating solution.
On Aug. 24, the FDA approved over-the-counter EC sales. This momentous decision could drastically cut abortion rates. The pill is taken orally and can prevent pregnancy if used properly, and causes only non-serious side effects such as nausea, abdominal pain, tiredness, headache, dizziness and nausea. The hormone in the drug acts to stop ovulation, fertilization or implantation (depending on how soon the pill is taken following unprotected sex).
Regrettably, the FDA has restricted this option for women younger than 18 years old who will still have to obtain a prescription for the morning after pill. Yes, non-prescription sales to adults will prevent hundreds of thousands of abortions but the age distribution restraint is an irresponsible compromise and makes the FDA’s decision half a success.
The FDA has to realize that young teens also experience unplanned pregnancies and lift the ridiculous age-restraints. According to information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2000 more than 280,000 pregnancies in the United States occurred in women between the ages of 15 and 17. Approximately 30 percent of those ended in legal abortion, 14 percent were miscarriages (or possibly illegal abortions) and only 55 percent of the girls gave birth.
Many people find the idea of “young adolescents” or “children” taking this drug appalling and argue that they are too immature to use Plan B correctly. Luckily, EC is easy to use (swallow two pills) and is safe because many high-school-age pregnant girls are quite possibly too immature to correctly follow directions (seeing that they some how messed up with the ones on the condom box or failed to use one at all). But more importantly, they are also too young and too immature to have a child. So, if unprotected sex occurs, the best option (aside from growing up and learning about sex and contraception before one chooses to partake) is, to prevent the pregnancy with EC.
It’s absurd to make it so difficult for younger women to avoid abortion, especially when there is no scientific base for such restrictions. Aversion based on “morality” has no rational support since asserting EC’s comparability to abortion ignores science and is illogical. An abortion can only be performed on pregnant women and conception cannot occur if a woman uses Plan B properly.
Some opponents go as far as believing non-prescription Plan B availability promotes promiscuity (using that argument, wouldn’t condoms do the same?). It makes absolutely no sense for anyone to think about or address, in any way, another person’s promiscuity. It is impossible and unacceptable to control another person’s decisions (especially when it comes to sex), but it is possible to support widespread distribution and accessibility of a drug that promotes decreasing abortion rates.
In a perfect world, people would be smart enough to practice safe sex or have sex only with someone who they love and whose child they’d be thrilled to have. Plan B wouldn’t have to exist.
In the real world people make horrible decisions (some are promiscuous … not our problem), or condoms break, and unplanned pregnancies occur. Before Plan B those women were faced with the choices or having the child or aborting the child. Now if a woman has unprotected sex she will not have to face those choices and can choose instead to drive to the nearest drug store and prevent the pregnancy completely.
09-07-2006
