FDA decision on Plan B is good, still barriers

[Auburn85 438]

http://www.usatoday....column/2127499/

Cecile Richards

The Obama administration's decision earlier this week to make emergency contraception more widely available is an important step forward for preventing unintended pregnancy -- a persistent problem in the United States that most people agree should be addressed more aggressively. However, access should be expanded further.

The FDA announced this week that it approved a manufacturer's application to make emergency contraception available without a prescription for women ages 15 and older, which will increase access for women of all ages by moving it from behind the pharmacy counter. Until now, women had to ask for emergency contraception at the pharmacy counter, which led to delays and even outright denials in some cases.

One in 10 women of reproductive age has used emergency contraception -- and many more will have access without hurdles or barriers, thanks to this decision.

Emergency contraception is a safe and effective form of birth control that can prevent pregnancy if taken within five days of unprotected sex.

Time is crucial. When a woman fears that she could become pregnant because her contraceptive failed or because she had unprotected sex, she needs fast access to birth control that can still work, not delays at the pharmacy counter and unnecessary red tape.

The sooner it's taken after unprotected sex, the more effective over-the-counter emergency contraception is in preventing pregnancy. It works by postponing ovulation, which prevents sperm from coming in contact with and fertilizing an egg.

Emergency contraception is a form of birth control. It is not an abortion pill -- it works before a woman is pregnant, and actually can't work if a woman is already pregnant. Indeed, access to emergency contraception reduces the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancy in the first place.

About half of the nearly 7 million pregnancies in the United States each year are unintended, according to the Guttmacher Institute. This is one of the highest rates among developed countries -- and it's particularly high among low-income people who lack access to health care. Birth control also helps improve maternal and infant health. When women plan their pregnancies, they are more likely to access prenatal care, ultimately improving their own health and the health of their children.

While this decision an important step, the FDA's decision left in place some barriers to access that are not supported by science.

Under this decision, young women will have to show identification to get emergency contraception, which is an unnecessary hurdle. Research and more than 40 years of use show emergency contraception to be a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy for women of all ages.

Overwhelming research also shows that teens are just as likely as adults to use emergency contraception correctly and that access to birth control does not cause young people to become more sexually active.

All unnecessary restrictions on emergency contraception should be lifted. Expanding access to this form of birth control is good policy, good science and good sense.

Cecile Richards is the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

[TitanTiger 21,565]

I love how they throw out a figure like "half" of pregnancies are unintended, then you read the actual stats and over 60% of that "half" were just "mistimed" (as in, a married couple intended to space the kids out a little more but they got a surprise earlier than intended). Truly unintended pregancies (as in, the couple did not want to have a child or have more children) was less than 1 in 5 pregnancies.

As they say, there are lies, damn lies and statistics.

[alexava 6,976]

No matter the #s when a teenager gets pregnant, it devistates, if not ruins the lives of several people involved. Mom,baby, father(sometimes if you're lucky), and mostly the grandparents(maternal), who end up taking on more than they ever planned on or can afford. Any step to bandaid the situation is a good idea to me. I don't promote promiscuity at that age and don't thing this bill does either.