In the U.S., 3 million unintended pregnancies occur each year in this country, followed by about a million medical abortions, but if the women knew about and used emergency contraception, at least half of these could be prevented. Only 2% of U.S. women have ever used it and only about 11% know of its existence, even though the method - taking multiple doses of oral contraceptives within a few days of unprotected intercourse - has been known for more than a quarter century.
Emergency Contraception Prevents Abortions
Lon Newman - Wisconsin
Across the globe, 133 million births occur annually, as well as an estimated 46 million induced abortions, meaning that about 25% of all pregnancies end in abortion. The U.S. follows this pattern. Research by the Population Council makes a convincing case that an increase in contraception decreases the number of abortions. Abortion has been legal in the U.S. for 30 years, thus if we are going to achieve a decline in the rate of U.S. population growth it is not going to be by abortion, but by either tackling immigration and/or increasing contraception. A number of Americans use no contraception, use contraception irregularly or improperly, or use contraceptive systems that have high failure rates. What if one-tenth of the energy put into the abortion debate (on both sides) had gone into educating people about the methods of contraception available and improving the level of access? We've all seen pro-choice and anti-choice ads at one time or another. Anyone seen an ad that tells the failure rate of condoms or diaphragms? An ad for over-the-counter emergency contraception or an ad touting a reversible form of birth control that lasts 10 years at a crack? The good news is that a change may be in the works. Emergency contraception will eventually lead to over-the-counter birth control pills. It can't happen soon enough.
Abortion vs Contraception
April 29, 2003
Patrick Burns
My thirty-one year old son was the result of not taking the pill on the last day of the pill cycle. It never occured to me to take two pills to make up for having missed the one - but I would have, had I known. My marriage was beginnig to fail around that time. Twenty-three years ago my last child was an IUD baby - but there would have no way of knowing that it fell out. Around the same time my sister spontaneously aborted a three month IUD fetus. If it were not for abortion, I would have had another child about 28 years ago because of pill failure. Abortion is not an experience I would care to repeat and the father of my last child would not have agreed to. Had I know it was an option, emergency contraception would have saved me from three births or two births and one abortion. I did have one birth due to a planned pregnancy and probably would have continued with one of the other (unplanned) pregnancies even if emergency contraception had been an option.
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www.mikhaela.net Every sperm is sacred - click to enlarge |
Emergency Contraception - Behind the Confusion and How it is Available in the Bathroom of 27% of All Women Using Contraception.
Confusion among pharmacists and the lay public is widespread, and those in the family planning movement are at least partly to blame. Some incredibility is due to the fact that: in the early 1980s and 1990s, RU-486 (now called the abortion pill) was refered to as 'emergency contraception' and not abortion, leading to confusion as to what we now call 'Emergency Contraception' really is, which is OTC abortion. At the very same time that this was going on, there was little effort to educate women about the use of regular birth control pills as emergency contraception. RU-486 is new to the U.S., but taking massive doses of birth control pills is NOT new. The Yutzpe method (developed 20-25 years ago by Dr. Al Yutzpe), when using the most commonly available birth control pills in the U.S., are that two doses should be taken, 12 hours apart, and within 72 hours of having sex. Like the Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, most women already have access to emergency contraception. Just as the shoes on her feet got Dorothy home, so too can the birth control pills already in her cabinet (or in her friend's cabinet) get her out of the trouble she is in if a condom breaks or she has a serious lapse of judgment. For more information, see: http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/ecpuse.html rw
The Yutzpe Method
| General instructions: Take one dose every 12 hours for 24 hours, discard the last 7 pills in a 28-pill pack as they do not contain any hormones. If you are using Triphasil, Tri-Levlen, or Trivora, use only the correct color of pills that are noted below. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Trussell J, Koenig J, Ellertson C, Stewart F. Preventing unintended pregnancy: the cost-effectiveness of three methods of emergency contraception. American Journal of Public Health 1997;87(6):932-937.
Please note that the FDA has explicitly declared that the brands of birth control pills listed above are safe and effective for use as emergency contraceptives. These protocols work! |
India;: Cipla Introduces I-pill Helpline on Emergency Contraception. Emergency contraception (EC), is not well known in India. To dispel the myths associated with it and provide information Cipla launched the "i-pill helpline" service. The i-pill is the first single-pill emergency contraception available over the counter in the Indian market today. Emergency contraceptive pills contain common female hormones, prevent pregnancy in the first place and so do not cause an abortion. Cipla's i-pill prevents pregnancy by stopping or delaying release release of an egg), blocking fertilisation or preventing implantation by making the lining of the uterus inhospitable for pregnancy. It has to be taken within 72 hours or three days of contraception. The i-pill contains the hormone levonorgestrel, and when taken immediately offers maximum protection against pregnancy. It can prevent pregnancy by up to 89% if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse and is available without a prescription at all chemist outlets. September 25, 2007 Domain-B.com
Abortion Rate at Highest Ever. A total of 5,992 abortions were carried out last month at the Marie Stopes nine UK clinics, a rise of 13% on the 5,304 figure for January 2005. The charity believes this increase could have been caused by Christmas drinking, leading to unprotected sex. In total, 61,983 abortions were performed at Marie Stopes clinics in the UK in 2006. We may be seeing the consequences of the festive season. The charity offered emergency contraception in an attempt to encourage women to keep emergency contraception at home. Some family planning groups called it irresponsible. MSI has called for a Government-funded education campaign to alert women and men to the importance of preventing unwanted pregnancies and STIs. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), has seen a higher than usual number of women for abortion treatment this January. Closure of family planning facilities, GPs and pharmacists during the holiday period means contraceptive access is reduced. Making emergency contraception available over the counter has caused controversy. A professor argued that making it easier for women to get emergency contraception had no effect on abortion rates and education was the key to cutting the figures. February 08, 2007 Telegraph
Emergency Pill for Chilean Girls. Chile's president has signed a decree so that the morning-after contraceptive pill can be given to girls of 14 without their parents' consent. The government says teenagers have 40,000 unwanted pregnancies a year. The Catholic Church and opposition parties are against the move; they say it is a method of abortion, which is illegal. President Bachelet's government announced that it would allow public health centres to give the morning-after pill to girls of 14 and older, even if they did not have the consent of their parents. However, two weeks ago, the Court ruled that the health minister did not have the power to do so. The decree signed on Monday includes an amendment which requires teenagers to receive counselling when they are given the pill. Despite having some of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the world, it is estimated that in Chile 35% of all pregnancies are terminated illegally. The morning-after pill may prevent pregnancy if a woman takes it within 72 hours of having sexual intercourse. February 05, 2007 BBC News
EC for Chilean Girls. Chile's President has signed a decree so that EC can be given to girls 14 and up without their parents' consent. The Catholic Church and opposition parties are against the move as they say EC is a method of abortion. The new decree includes an amendment which requires teenagers to receive counselling when they are given the pill. It is estimated that in Chile 35% of all pregnancies are terminated illegally. January 30, 2007 BBC News
Argentina;: Morning-after Pill Gaining in Latam Despite Church. In Buenos Aires, public hospitals offer the emergency contraception free and Argentine lawmakers are pushing to extend this service nationwide. Despite resistance from the Roman Catholic Church, governments are making emergency contraception available in much of Latin America. The Catholic Church considers the pill a chemically induced abortion. But the morning-after pill is gaining acceptance in Latin America as people ignore traditional church teachings on sexuality. January 08, 2007 Reuters
EC Pill Use Doesn't Lower Abortion Rates. Sexually active women are more likely to use EC pills but there is no evidence that use of the pills lowers pregnancy or abortion rates. To date, no study has shown that increased access reduces unintended pregnancy or abortion rates and the consistency of the findings is hard to ignore. Advocates claimed that with EC, the number of unwanted pregnancies could be cut in half and 70% of abortions could be prevented. The Guttmacher Institute issued a report suggesting that EC alone prevented 51,000 abortions in 2000. But opponents said the new article is the latest example of overblown claims about EC's benefits. The FDA approved Plan B, the nation's only EC product, for adults-only purchase in retail stores with pharmacists. Some pro-life activists oppose EC because they say life begins at conception. Women who used EC were more likely to become serious about using reliable birth control. Ultimately, emergency contraception may contribute its greatest public health benefit by prodding women to adopt a more effective contraceptive method. January 08, 2007 Washington Times
U.S.;: Emergency Pill Doesn't Drop Pregnancy Rate. A review of 23 studies on the emergency pills demonstrate that greater access increases use. No study has shown that access reduced unwanted pregnancies or abortions. The USFDA has approved Plan B, which must be purchased from a pharmacist. Plan B is a set of birth-control pills to be taken by women within 72 hours of sexual intercourse. Women who have to use emergency contraception are more likely to become serious about reliable birth control. January 08, 2007 United Press International
Step A for Plan B: Giving the Pills Away. At least 775 people received free Plan B emergency contraceptive pills covered by the Planned Parenthood Hudson Teconic chapter. That is about as many as would have been prescribed in three-weeks before the FDA ruled that the pills can be sold without a prescription to over 18s. After years of study and debate, the FDA approved offering Plan B, without a prescription. When used within three days of unprotected sex, the pills greatly reduce the odds of pregnancy. Pharmacies are not legally bound to carry Plan B, but none have refused. Chris Slattery, founder of Expectant Mother Care, said he doubted they would have the abortion-reducing effect predicted by Planned Parenthood, and is concerned that the message is that sex can be had at all occasions, without consequences. A bill to make them available passed both houses of the State Legislature but was vetoed by Gov. Pataki. Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said she would introduce legislation aimed at lifting the age restrictions, setting up financing for a public awareness campaign and requiring insurance companies to cover Plan B. One New York insurance company, has dropped coverage of the pills, which cost about $35 a dose. December 10, 2006 New York Times*
Morning After Pill Free on 'Free EC Day'; Backup Birth Control Now Available Over the Counter -- and Free Today at Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood Clinics will give away the so-called "morning after pill," or Plan B, to both men and women at no cost, while supplies last. Because Planned Parenthood clinics are staffed by doctors, women younger than 17 will have free access to the medical examinations and prescriptions. About 50% of unplanned pregnancies in this country are from failed contraception and anything that increases the availability of emergency contraception is welcome. Emergency contraception is a safe, effective option that every woman should have in her medicine cabinet. Planned Parenthood is committed to educating women about their birth control options. Planned Parenthood's new focus is woman's health, and trying to get away from being seen as an abortion provider. EC lowers the risk of pregnancy when started within five days of intercourse. Timely access to the pill is critical. Instead of prescribing Plan B as a 'life preserver', women will be able to walk into the pharmacy and request what they need. Arguments still rage over whether the regulations go far enough in giving women access to the pill and whether the pill is contraception or a very early abortion. Proponents argued that over-the-counter availability would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. Scientific studies have suggested that EC does not increase teenage promiscuity, or the prevalence of STDs. December 06, 2006 Reuters
U.S.;: Plan B Pill Now Readily Available. The over-the-counter morning-after pill is now available at pharmacies nationwide. The FDA declared that customers 18 and older should be able to buy it in pharmacies without a prescription. Girls 17 and younger need a prescription to buy Plan B, though an older person could buy it over the counter on a teenage girl's behalf. Supporters claimed that wider availability would reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and abortions. Critics argued that Plan B will promote promiscuity and unsafe sex. Some critics consider the pill tantamount to abortion. Plan B distribution went smoothly, and the manufacturer does not expect sales information until February. Prices range from $30 at some clinics to $61 at some supermarket-based pharmacies. Some independent pharmacies are not stocking Plan B because of moral objections, but the pill is widely available. Major pharmacy chains pledge to ensure that customers can buy Plan B onsite even if a given employee declines to provide service for reasons of conscience. Planned Parenthood urged women to back up their regular birth control by keeping emergency contraception in their medicine cabinet. Planned Parenthood centers sell the pill; as a clinic operator, the organization gets a discount that helps it undercut pharmacy prices. Some worry that sexually active women using Plan B will feel less need to see a physician, reducing the odds of early detection of sexually transmitted diseases. Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and South Dakota allow pharmacists to opt out of providing emergency contraceptives. December 06, 2006 Associated Press
US Idaho;: Planned Parenthoods Begin Selling Emergency Contraception. Plan B is not the abortion pill, it is used to prevent pregnancy, and will not work on a woman who is already pregnant. When taken within 72 hours after intercourse, the pill can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89%. Planned Parenthood of Idaho plans to sell a pack of pills for $35 to those over 18 without a prescription. Opponents contend this could lead to an increase in risky sexual behavior. But in a state where 10% of live births each day are to teenagers 15 to 19 years old, better access to pregnancy prevention could help reduce teen pregnancy and abortion rates. Studies have shown that emergency contraception does not lead to more promiscuity. Plan B is available at Walgreens and Rite Aid for $40. Planned Parenthood will adjust its rate according to income. December 02, 2006 Associated Press
Family Planning Group Welcomes Decline in Abortions. The Family Planning Association of Western Australia (FPWA) reports a decline in abortions of 8.5% over the six years to 2005. This can be partly attributed to better sex education in schools,better knowledge and use of the morning after pill which has been available over the counter since 2004. Women are better informed about the different types of contraception available. November 18, 2006 ABC Premium News (Australia)
Ireland;: Clear Majority Would Tolerate Some Abortions. The majority of Irish people believe abortion is acceptable in some circumstances, and there is support for having the morning-after pill available over the counter. At the publication of the report yesterday the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, said she did not see another abortion referendum being held. Research found that 64% of the population believe abortion is acceptable in some circumstances, but 36% said abortion was wrong. Of the 64%, 17% said it was mostly wrong, 38% sometimes wrong and 9% it is never wrong. Proportions stating that abortion is always wrong fell from between 70% and 90% in 1981 to between 30% and 39% in 2005. Younger age groups and people with more education are less likely to see abortion as always wrong and the religious were more likely to respond that abortion was always wrong. Only 21% of men and 42% of women know the time limit for use of the morning-after pill (within 72 hours of intercourse). Just 9% believed emergency contraception is always wrong. The morning after pill is available over the counter in more than 25 countries. Here it is a prescription-only medicine. It would be a matter for the Irish Medicines Board to decide whether or not the morning-after pill should be made available over the counter. The option would be given consideration, he said. October 17, 2006 The Irish Times
New EC Pill Expected to Increase Access Worldwide. The International Planned Parenthood Federation launched Optinor, its Emergency Contraceptive (EC) product. The introduction of Optinor resulted from the continued lack of access to affordable EC products. Member Associations face difficulties in obtaining product from existing suppliers, with the cost of one dose around $10. The response from IPPF providers had been positive, with 66 Associations expressing interest in providing Optinor. Women in the Caribbean would now have access to EC which would be widely available in Barbados. Optinor will be made available for public, social marketing and commercial programmes in collaboration with IPPF Member Associations and other national partners. October 11, 2006 ICON
Chile Defends Free Morning - After Pills. Chile's President Bachelet said her decision to distribute free morning-after contraception pills to girls as young as 14 was a matter of "equality". The Chilean government's decision to begin offering the morning-after pill free of charge in public health clinics triggered sharp criticism from the Catholic Church. But Bachelet -- an agnostic, 54-year-old single mother has weathered heated debates. In 2001, when Bachelet was health minister, she fiercely defended its use in the face of legal and political firefights. Now, Bachelet is trying to package emergency contraception as part of a sweeping women's health policy. Chile is one of the few nations where every form of abortion is outlawed, Bachelet simply said abortion was "not part of our program." But an advocacy group that supports abortion rights, said Bachelet's policy should open the discourse on legalized abortion in Chile which is one of the few societies that has not faced the issue of decriminalizing abortion. Such sentiments provoke a strong reaction from Chile's Catholic Church that calls the pill a deceptive form of abortion. For Bachelet, the question of teenage pregnancy is a problem that drains the country's resources, almost 14% of Chilean women are teenage mothers. Distributing the morning-after pill is an essential role for the state, though the final decision must be made by the individual. The person decides by their own values, by their own beliefs. September 21, 2006 Associated Press
U.S.;: War Over Abortion May Be Won with Plan B. The FDA approved the over-the-counter sale of Plan B, that stops the release of an egg from the ovary or, prevents the union of sperm and egg up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. Plan B could eliminate the abortion question for many of the 3 million women annually who find themselves unintentionally pregnant. Pro-choicers say that by limiting access to the drug without a prescription to women 18 and older, teenage girls are being penalized. And, by mandating that the drug be kept behind the counter the FDA has negated the concept of over-the-counter availability. Anti-choicers fear that the drug will promote promiscuity. But a study by the University of California found no correlation between emergency contraception and an increase in risky sex. In 2005, nearly 57% of Michigan high school seniors had already had sexual intercourse. We don't want our girls to be sexually active. But the best prevention for that is for parents to be talking to their kids. We as a nation can focus on Plan A -- talking to our kids about safe, healthy sexuality. September 07, 2006 Detroit Free Press
Chile;: Morning After Pill for Everyone - for Free. The Chilean government decreed that all public health centres must provide birth control, including emergency contraception, to adolescents and women over the age of 14 -- a measure that immediately drew the ire of the Catholic Church and the right-wing opposition parties. President Michelle Bachelet, a pediatrician, asked the Health Ministry to expand the distribution of emergency contraception. Any teenage girl over the age of 14 will now be able to directly ask her doctor for a prescription for birth control, without authorisation from her parents, and the contraceptives must be provided free of charge by the public health system. The most controversial aspect is that it not only covers traditional birth control methods, but also emergency contraception. The WHO clarifies that emergency contraception will not cause abortion. But archbishop of Santiago said it was a blow to marriage, the birth rate, and the Chilean family. Several mayors from right-wing opposition parties rejected the decree, and threatened not to respect it. In response, Barra warned that the new decree was "compulsory." Marta Ehlers, of National Renovation party (RN), said she she would not permit the distribution of emergency contraception pills, even if it is mandatory. The government says the measure is aimed at curbing the rise in unwanted and teen pregnancies and illegal abortions, the Catholic Church argues that (limited) sex education is needed rather than free birth control. Conservatives fear this could further reduce the birth rate which dropped from 2.5 children per woman in 1983 to 1.9 in 2003. Rojas said "The measure is health-related, and should be approached from that angle. International experience shows that this does not lead to an increase in promiscuity." Sales of the morning after pill are legal today, but only those who can afford the pill have access to it and it is fair to give all Chileans access to the entire range of birth control methods. In Chile, 14 of every 100 young people are sexually active by the age of 14. According to the Health Ministry, the number of adolescent girls and women obtaining birth control from the public health system climbed from 600,374 in 1990 to 1,087,743 in 2004 -- an 81% rise in 14 years. Emergency contraception is now legally available in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. September 03, 2006 InterPress Service
Teens Opt for Abortion Over Emergency Pill. Despite the introduction of the Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP) in Jamaica three years ago, demand for the drug is low, as some women prefer abortions. A study suggested that abortions among adolescents range from a conservative 1,350 to a possible maximum of 4,912 per year. Young women 15 to 19 have a relatively high incidence of abortions compared to older teens and adults. Although the ECP was readily available, adolescents refused to take the drug. They opted to undergo induced abortions, which is illegal in Jamaica. They still see ECP as an 'abortion agent' and stigmatises those who use it. The current use of the ECP is under 20%. The statistics indicated the need for the drug especially among adolescents 15 to 19 years old who are most likely to be involved in casual sex or unwanted pregnancies. Some adolescents who feared going to medical facilities, opted for risky, self-induced abortions using methods such as Pepsi and Excedrin, coat hangers and jumping from high places. ECP is available at no cost at health centres. June 26, 2006 Jamaica Observer
Canada: OTC Plan B Lowers Health Costs. Evidence is mounting in Canada that a switch that leads to "plan B" can lower healthcare costs due to fewer abortions and physician visits Sales of the contraceptive have nearly doubled since April 2005, when it was made available OTC to Canadians who can avoid pregnancy, not require an abortion and do not require doctor office visits. Similar healthcare savings would be seen in US if Plan B was allowed to be sold without a prescription. US patients were having their Plan B prescriptions filled in Canada because it costs "a lot less money." In 2003, one of FDA's advisory committees recommended that OTC sales of the drug be permitted. However, the FDA said it was again delaying the decision. Former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said in sworn testimony the agency had intended to allow OTC sales of Plan B last year but that the decision was delayed so it could figure out how to limit sales to women 17 and older. Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., have said they will block the confirmation of Andrew von Eschenbach, Bush's nomination for FDA commissioner, until the agency announces its decision on Plan B. If Plan B is allowed to be sold without a prescription, it could increase sales by another $10 to $20 million on top of its current sales of around $20 million. June 20, 2006 United Press International
U.S.: Doctors Tell Women to Take Emergency Contraception Sooner Rather Than Later. The morning after pill is normally taken after a woman has unprotected sex. It can reduce a woman's chances of getting pregnant by up to 89% if taken within 72 hours of intercourse. A new campaign by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises women to get a prescription well in advance of when it might be needed as it is more effective when taken before sex. There is another pill, RU-486, that terminates pregnancy. Political conservatives oppose both. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists wants the morning after pill to be available over the counter. Nine states allow the pill to be sold without a prescription. An advisory committee told the FDA the morning-after pill is safe enough to be sold over the counter, yet the agency refused to make it available without a prescription. Easier access to this pill could help prevent half the three million unplanned pregnancies in the U.S. each year. May 18, 2006 Voice of America News
U.S.: In Case of Emergency: Physicians Group Wants to Make Sure Contraception is Widely Available. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in its Ask Me campaign, is getting patients to inquire about emergency contraception, not to increase its use but to help make sure women can get the medication when they need it. The drug is most effective if taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex, but roadblocks can keep women from getting it in time. So, the physicians group is telling women they can ask their doctors for an advance prescription. It's not a perfect solution, but it's better than having to track down a doctor who will prescribe and a pharmacy that will dispense. Scientists declared the drug to be safe for over-the-counter sales. The FDA said it is concerned about the use of emergency contraception by teenagers. But it could develop a plan for handling age restrictions. The availability of emergency contraception would result in a decrease in unwanted pregnancies. Planned Parenthood says 1.7 million unintended pregnancies and 800,000 abortions could be prevented each year and throwing up roadblocks to emergency contraception only ensures that unwanted pregnancies will continue. May 14, 2006 Columbus Dispatch
Peru: Debate on Day After Pill. The UN representative to Peru urged presidential hopefuls to include Emergency Oral Contraception as a campaign issue. He said it is necessary for government to guarantee the distribution of the pill so there is no difference between poor and rich. However, the Catholic Church and other sectors oppose. The WHO considers the contraceptive pill as a non abortion-inducing method, with no life-threatening effects. The UN diplomat said also urged candidates to include the Millennium Targets in their government plans, as they call for achieving quality reproductive health services by 2015. February 22, 2006 Prensa Latina (Cuba)
Mexican Pharmacies Able to Give EC to US Minors. US residents find it easier to access Mexican pharmacies. A law approved last year, allows them to sell emergency contraception (EC) without a prescription. Mexican law does not require parental consent for minors to purchase contraceptives, including EC. A Mexican pharmacist, said many of his customers have been young, and some of them have been from the US. January 27, 2006 Kaiser Network
U.S.: Dr. Pill to the Rescue. On Aug. 26, the FDA postponed indefinitely a decision that would allow over-the-counter sale of Plan B. One doctor in New Mexico has spent the last five years making sure emergency contraception gets into the hands of women who need it. In 2000, Dr. Matt Wise launched the Web site Getthepill.com as a run around the obstacles women face who are trying to get the drug. He assumed that demand for the services would be short-lived but now, five years later, Dr. Wise may not be quitting his night job anytime soon. The only thing keeping him there is realizing that EC has helped thousands of women. The pills need to be taken in sequence starting within 72 hours of unprotected sex but will not terminate an existing pregnancy. A prescription for emergency contraception does not require a face-to-face doctor's visit and a majority of doctors take the position that the drug should require no prescription at all. Political opposition to emergency contraception remains powerful. According to congressional staffers the decision was made months before it was announced and involved an unusual number of top-level officials. The implication is that the process was guided more by internal machinations than by medical realities. Wise was inspired to try to help meet the need by one of his mentors, contraceptive expert Dr. David Grimes. Wise launched Getthepill.com with the help of his brother who created the site. Three other family or close friends help answer phones and do clerical work. The $24.95 prescription fee covers their salaries and operating costs; Wise derives his income from his gynecology practice. Getthepill.com logs 30 to 50 prescription requests or inquiries per day. Women seeking a prescription are asked to fill out a questionnaire designed to confirm they are at risk of pregnancy but not pregnant. When a patient's need is confirmed, a prescription is called or sent in to the pharmacy of her choice. If a pharmacy or pharmacist turns out to be hostile to dispensing emergency contraception his staff finds a friendlier one. Wise is licensed to practice medicine in about 20 states but 26 remain in which he cannot write prescriptions. Getthepill.com will provide prescriptions only to patients 18 and older. I have no problem in prescribing to younger patients, but what we're doing already places us under scrutiny. For minors and those in the 26 off-the-list states, Wise will try to guide them to an available resource. There are doctors who still confuse emergency contraception with mifepristone, and refuse to dispense it and those who give their patients an enormous guilt trip. Dr. Joe DeCook does not prescribe emergency contraception, and who hopes Wise is careful when he does. DeCook is vice president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists and cites studies that appear to call the effectiveness of E.C. into question, and a dearth of information on side effects on pregnancies undetected before E.C. is taken. Emergency contraception has been deemed safe and effective and studies that question the drug's effectiveness find fault not with its medical properties but with the way the drug is presented and described to women and the stigmas that prevent them from asking for it when they need it. A spokesperson for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists implied that if the drug should be available with no prescription at all, then a prescription from an online doctor would be more than sufficient. November 07, 2005 Salon.com
U.K.: Women Switch to Paying for Emergency Contraception. Over-the-counter sales of Emergency Contraception (EC) doubled as women switched to paying for them instead of relying on a prescription from their doctor. The easier availability of EC did not increase its use. About 7% of women between 16 and 49 obtained it at least once in 2004-5, unchanged on the year before. The proportion provided by local pharmacies went up from 27% to 50%, due to the convenience of using high street outlets, or not discussing the need with Doctors or nurses. The proportion supplied through family planning clinics remained at 21%, but use of National Health Service walk-in centres or clinics fell from 11% to 3%. EC became available without prescription in 2001 an essential step to reduce unintended pregnancies. More women and men were using the male condom as a contraceptive and barrier against sexually transmitted infections. It was used by 22% of women last year, compared with 1% in 2002 and 13% in 1986. The pill remained the most popular contraceptive, used by 25% of women under 50. October 31, 2005 Push Journal
U.S.;: Sell Morning-after Pill as If it Were a Condom; It's Birth Control. It's Not the Abortion Pill.. The FDA will decide whether women can buy the morning-after pill without a prescription. The pill should be as easy to purchase as condoms, which are pregnancy-prevention tools and readily available. The FDA can put age restrictions on the pill, which would force stores to card buyers or keep the drug behind the counter. Such restrictions might discourage stores from carrying the pill. That makes no sense when the goal should be to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Yet people continue to confuse the morning-after pill with the abortion pill, RU-486. The morning-after pill is essentially a birth-control pill with a higher dose of estrogen and progestin or just progestin. The surge in hormone levels delays an egg's release and may block a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. If an egg is already implanted, the pill will not terminate a pregnancy. RU-486 terminates a pregnancy. The morning-after pill prevents pregnancy, it's safe, and should be freely available. August 15, 2005 Des Moines Register
U.S.: A Prescription for Contention. Unlike RU-486, designed to induce early miscarriage, pills like Plan B are supposed to prevent pregnancy. Made from a synthetic form of progesterone, the pills are 89% effective in preventing pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. The Alan Guttmacher Institute says Plan B pills prevent ovulation, which is important because sperm can live in a woman's body up to six days. It can also prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg. For those who believe that life begins when the sperm fertilizes the egg, preventing implantation means abortion. They also question the safety of morning-after pills by exposing women to this dose of hormones. But birth control pills are taken daily and often for years, rather than a concentrated dose taken in one day. June 24, 2005 Daily News (New York)
Morning-After Pill Well Tolerated by Teen Girls. Levonorgestrel, used for emergency contraception after unprotected sex, is well tolerated by females 13 to 16 years and side effects are minor. The drug is well tolerated by adult women. 52 adolescent females were given one tablet and instructed to take another 12 hours later. Nearly all the subjects were able to take the medication correctly and no serious side effects were noted. Nausea, fatigue, and vomiting were relatively common, but short-lived and the drug did not affect menstrual periods, the average duration was about 5 days and the periods began within the expected time frame. 90% of subjects said they would recommend this emergency contraception to a friend. December 05, 2004 Reuters
EC: Military Formulary Bill to be Introduced. Rep. Michaud plans to introduce a bill to assure the military includes emergency contraception (EC), and this comes in part as a response to the reports of sexual assault in the military. July 22, 2004 unknown
Some Irish Hospitals Refuse to Prescribe Emergency Contraception. The BBC discovered only Antrim and Craigavon area hospitals prescribed emergency contraception (EC) on request. Downpatrick said will prescribe it to under-18s; Mid-Ulster said some doctors would prescribe it but others objected. The Mater in Belfast is the only hospital exempt from supplying EC, all other hospitals refused. The Department of Health says EC should be easily available. It is available at pharmacies, but its cost of £24 could deter some. Hospitals could be in breach of their duty of care by refusing the treatment to patients. July 20, 2004 BBC News
Chilean Mayors Oppose Distribution of 'Morning After Pill' to Rape Victims. The policy to provide emergency contraception (EC) in Santiago to rape victims free of charge, provoked an outcry from Catholic officials, who pressured rightwing parties to defy the policy. Two Santiago mayors and the mayor of Concepcion said they will block distribution. One mayor claimed the pill is abortive and intercepted 80 doses to be dispersed to clinics, while an official of the Health Ministry held up distribution. The Mayor of Concepcion will allow the pill, but only one at a time, to the hospital closest to the woman. Despite this the delivery of EC continues smoothly, with an estimated 17,000 doses by the end of May 2004. The Ministry of Health has warned that those who interfere with the pill's delivery may face sanctions and possible budget cuts. May 21, 2004 Santiago Times
Chile: Morning-After-Pill Faces Resistence. Three mayors refuse to distribute the morning after pill in their clinics, in defiance of a policy to provide the pill to victims of rape. The mayors of two Santiago boroughs, Puente Alto and Lo Barnachea, together with the mayor of Concepcion said they will block distribution in their communities. The Puento Alto mayor maintains the pill is abortive and intercepted 80 doses which were for clinics in his jurisdiction. In Lo Barnachea an official within the Health Ministry held up the pill's distribution. Concepcion mayor Jacqueline van Rysselberghe has taken a different approach, saying she will allow the pill, but only one at a time, dose by dose, and only to the hospital closest to the woman requesting it. Despite these dissents, the delivery of the pill continues smoothly in other regions and 17,000 doses have been delivered. The Ministry of Health warned that those mayors who interfere with the pill's delivery may face sanctions and possible budget cuts as punishment. May 20, 2004 Santiago Times
Wisconsin Promotes Morning-After Pill Hotline. Wisconsin has made the morning-after pill available to women through a new hotline. The FDA decided against allowing the pill to be sold over the counter. The Wisconsin Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association has set up a toll-free phone number that makes obtaining the pill easy. The association plans to promote the hotline with a public education campaign and has drawn the ire of abortion opponents, who say it increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, the contraceptive can reduce the chance of pregnancy by up to 89%. The hotline connects with nurses at a Wausau clinic and the nurses direct callers to a clinic nearest them, or arrange for a prescription by phone. If a caller lives far from a clinic or pharmacy, the pill will be mailed overnight. May 11, 2004 Associated Press
Chilean Leader Defends 'Morning After' Pill Distribution. Chilean President Ricardo Lagos defended his programme to hand out free Emergency Contraceptive pills. Doctors' offices and emergency rooms can distribute the pill to women who have been sexually abused. Cardinal Errazuriz has called on the country's Catholic mayors to refuse to comply with the order. In March the government ignored the Churches disapproval and became the last country in Latin America to legalize divorce. Lagos told Agence France-Presse that every married couple must be free to resolve its issues according to its beliefs, religion and values. May 09, 2004 Agence France Presse
U.S.: After-Sex Pill Scarce in Stores. Not enough pharmacies are stocking the "morning after" pill despite a law requiring them either to carry the contraceptive or post a sign saying they do not. 58% of the pharmacies surveyed in Queens had the pills, compared with 87% in Manhattan. The Council overrode Mayor Bloomberg's veto to pass the law requiring pharmacies to carry the pill last April on the grounds the law was burdensome and difficult to enforce. February 09, 2004 Push newsfeed
'Morning-After' Pill Stirs Emotions; Some Pharmacies Will Refuse to Stock Over-the-Counter. Wal-Mart has never carried the prescription-only version of the Plan B pill and doesn't plan to change that policy because it is not frequently asked for. CVS and Eckerd said their stores fill prescriptions for emergency contraceptives, but declined to say whether they would provide the drug over the counter in the event of FDA approval. Many independent pharmacies do not plan to carry it, a pharmacist said, because it works after conception, which the pharmacist claimed amounts to an abortion. Several pharmacists who plan to sell the drug refused to be quoted for fear of reprisals. The drug is a backup when contraception fails or isn't used. Plan B requires a woman to take one pill within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, with a second tablet 12 hours after that. It blocks ovulation and implantation of a fertilized egg. There are side effects, but they are less than those of older contraceptives. Safety is an issue for pharmacists who oppose the sale of Plan B but study after study has shown the drug is safe and does not cause birth defects. Plan B presents a safer alternative to surgical abortion or full-term pregnancy. Despite abstinence-only programs and sex education, 80% of 850,000 teen pregnancies are unplanned. Many opponents of abortion believe that conception begins with fertilization. Some pharmacists will not carry Plan B because in their minds it constitutes abortion and will encourage more sexual activity among young people. January 21, 2004 Push newsfeed
New Zealand: Abortion Rates Prompt Action. The campaign to improve awareness of the emergency contraceptive pill comes after figures revealed 498 Hawke's Bay New Zealand women had their pregnancy terminated last year and 180 teen pregnancies. Three in every 1000 teenagers were getting pregnant compared to the national average of 2.1. The emergency contraceptive pill would be distributed as a more user-friendly form of contraception than the traditional "morning after" pill. New Zealand had the second-highest teen pregnancy rate with six out of 10 unintended. The emergency pill was available to any woman could be used up to 72 hours after sex. It was available from doctors, pharmacists but the Christian Heritage party would prefer to see money spent on promoting abstinence and affirming the institution of marriage. Ninety per cent of abortions involved unmarried women. September 17, 2003 Dominion
New Contraceptive Ready September 2003 Economic Times
India: Unprotected Sex? Just Pop An E-Pill. Chandigarh has made the provision of emergency contraceptives known as E-pills free of cost. The ministry of health and family welfare has forwarded packets of the pill for distribution. The emergency contraceptives are being distributed to broaden the choice of contraceptives. This is not a substitute for regular contraceptives and is effective only for those who have a single act of unprotected coitus. For women who have missed their periods, the pill would not be effective. The Levonorgestrel tablets or the E-pills are available in packs of two. The efficacy of another method, the Yuzpe technique, which contains a larger dose of estrogen and progestegine is quite high, the side effects are many. The E-pill has similar effects but these are less frequent as compared to Yuzpe. The efficacy of the E-pill is 90% and is highest if taken within 24 hours. The other methods of emergency contraception include post-coital IUCD (intra uterine contraceptive device) and intake of mifepristone commonly known as RU-486. Few women come for post-coital IUCD and RU-486. .. RU-486 is a new drug is yet to be tried. July 29, 2003 Times of India
Emergency Contraception News. The Australian Therapeutic Goods Association Committee on National Drugs and Poisons made a preliminary decision to allow selling emergency contraception (EC) over the counter. The committee will confirm the decision in October with guidelines on pharmacists talking to the customer about their sexual health and the side effects of the pill. In Canada, The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada have submitted an application to have emergency contraception become an over-the-counter drug available from any pharmacist. For more information, see http://www.journalpioneer.com/article.cfm?showid=3859 .. In the U.K., about half of Birmingham women have taken the so-called morning-after pill, according to new research. For more information, click here July 2003 Daily Telegraph
EC Works Up to 120 Hours and in Different Combinations. The 72-hour cutoff for taking Emergency oral contraception (EC) after intercourse might be restrictive. Differences in success rates for women taking EC within 72 hours or 120 hours were not significant. A randomized trial found that EC containing norethindrone-ethinyl estradiol combinations worked approximately as well for EC as the standard levonorgestrel-ethinyl combination. Wider variation in the regimens and timing could benefit women who are unable to obtain EC within 72 hours or where it is difficult to obtain the standard combination of hormones. June 26, 2003 Women's Health Weekly
New York Times Examines Increasing Awareness, Use of Emergency Contraception. More women are aware of and using the EC pills, that can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sex. Since 1999, Women's Capital Corp. has sold three million doses and Gynetics' sale increased 50% last year. .. 6% of women reported using EC, compared with 1% in 1997. 68% of women surveyed said they knew about EC, compared with 51% in 2000 and 41% in 1997. WCC last month applied to sell it's pill without a prescription, and Gynetics said that it expects to be sold over the counter by the end of next year. May 22, 2003 New York Times*
Location of Pharmacies with Emergency Contraception. Over the counter emergency contraception is legal in Alaska, Washington, California, and Quebec. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) declared support for making emergency contraceptive pills available over the counter. Click the link for locations of pharmacies where OTC EC is available. April 28, 2003 Patrick Burns
Nonprescription Sale Sought for Contraceptive; Petition to FDA to Offer 'Morning After' Pill Over the Counter Could Become Entangled in Abortion Debate. The makers of the emergency contraceptive "Plan B" are petitioning the F.D.A. to sell it without a prescription. If approved, it would be the first "morning after" contraceptive to be sold over the counter. This could become entangled in the abortion debate although the makers say their product prevents conception, rather than aborting. An easily avalable emergency contraceptive could reduce unintended pregnancies and abortions by half. Plan B uses progestin to interfere with fertilization and is usually effective within 72 hours after intercourse, but its ability to prevent pregnancy diminishes by 50% over the first 12 hours. Some antiabortion groups are opposed to their use and some silent. FDA officials have said it will take about 10 months to review their application. The treatment was restricted to rape-crisis centers until the late 1990s, when two morning-after pills were approved by the FDA for use with a doctor's prescription. Plan B's cost would remain about $27 a dose. April 21, 2003 Washington Post
U.K.: 100 Percent Increase in Teenage Girls Using Morning-After Pill. The use of the morning-after pill has more than doubled since it became available over the counter. One in five 16 year olds takes them each year, some use it repeatedly. The figures suggest the reduction in pregnancy is due to availability of the pill rather than a drop in teenage sex. Teenagers on the pill are not protected against sexually transmitted infections which affect one in 20 girls under 16. Teenage girls are more likely to use the pill than older women. The rise in teenage use supports campaigners who tried to stop chemists selling the pill as its easy availability would increase pressure to have sex while increasing the risk of infection. Girls under 16 need a prescription, which can be obtained without parents' consent from a doctor or a school nurse. But many buy it from a chemist because there are few checks to ensure it is not sold to under-age girls. Fear of sexually-transmitted diseases seems to have little impact on behaviour. March 27, 2003 Daily Mail
'Emergency' Birth Control: Access Issues. Only 4% or 5% of women ages 18 to 44 have used emergency contraception because of limited access to the pills, but policy makers are increasing access to the morning-after pills. 35% of drugstores stock emergency contraception products. A few states have done away with prescriptions for emergency contraception. New York is considering a bill requiring pharmacies not stocking emergency contraception to post signs so women do not wait in line. Opponents argue that morning-after pills cause abortions and should not be available. Doctors know that birth control pills can work after intercourse but the packages do not include instructions on how to avoid pregnancy after intercourse. Half of New York City pharmacies carry emergency contraception. Washington State and Alaska have regulations on the books that allow doctors or nurse practitioners to delegate their authority to prescribe specific medications. The California version was achieved with a new statute and a year after it took effect, 13% of the state's pharmacies were offering emergency contraception. Pharmacist assessment, counseling and referrals are crucial. The debate involves whether emergency rooms provide access to contraception to women after being raped. March 11, 2003 New York Times*
Emergency Contraception: Knowledge of Pregnancy Prevention Alternatives Lacking Among Danish Women. A recent study of 1514 Danish women showed that 44.7% women knew both the correct time limit and where to acquire the EC. These were typically younger, better educated and more often singles, nulliparae (no pregnancies), and users of contraception. 24.1% had used it previously. The general knowledge has not improved during the last few years and there is still need for information about the correct use of EC. March 06, 2003 Women's Health Weekly
Oregon Planned Parenthood Affiliate to Begin Online Emergency Contraception Service. Planned Parenthood of Columbia/Willamette, Oregon, began offering emergency contraception over the Internet. Women seeking emergency contraception can receive a prescription without visiting a practitioner. The service is available in several regions including Greater Indiana, Atlanta and St. Louis. Planned Parenthood Chicago, has had more than 3,000 EC prescriptions filled over the Internet. Although some people have been concerned that EC would become a routine form of contraception, those claims are "unfounded. The cost of $20 to $40 for a one-time supply may prohibit its use as a preventive measure. December 12, 2002 AP/Eugene Register-Guard
Most Catholic Hospitals Do Not Offer Emergency Contraception. A survey found that only 5% of U.S. Catholic hospitals offer Emergency Contraception upon request, and another 23% provide EC only in rape cases. A majority surveyed (55%) do not offer EC under any circumstances. Hospitals are straying from compassionate care when they deny reproductive health services and do little to refer women to a place they can receive it. More than half of the referrals offered were dead ends. December 12, 2002 Catholics for a Free Choice
U.S. Women Begin Using Newly Approved Contraceptives Nuvaring, Ortho Evra . NuvaRing and Ortho Evra, two new contraceptives that do not require daily attention, have been appoved by the FDA and have recently come to the market. NuvaRing is a flexible, two-inch ring that when inserted into the vagina delivers pregnancy-preventing hormones. Its insertion is as inserting a tampon. The ring is hardly noticable during sex, but it can be removed for up to three hours for sex, bathing, and douching. It is worn for 21 days, then removed during menstruation. Ortho Evra is a patch that is worn for one week at a time, for three weeks, delivering hormones to the bloodstream in the same way as the birth control pill. The patch is not worn for a week during menustration. The patch can be worn on the buttocks, upper arm, upper torso or abdomen, and the location can be changed from week to week to avoid skin irritation. Although intrauterine devices and the injectable contraceptive Depo Provera also do not require daily attention, both require a doctor's visit for insertion or injection. Many health plans have decided to cover the costs of the contraceptive patch, but haven't decided on the NuvaRing. A U.S. Committee will soon be considering the proposed Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act (EPICC), which would require insurance companies that cover prescription drugs to also cover the five most popular prescription contraceptives: birth control pills, Depo-Provera injections, IUDs, Norplant and diaphragms, but not the new contraceptive patch or vaginal ring. July 19, 2002 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Emergency Contraception Commonly Misused and Overused in Thailand . Many Thai women may use Emergency Contraception (EC) as many as 3 times a week, although the recommended maximum is only two doses per month. EC in Thailand contains 50 times the amount of progesterone contained in an ordinary oral contraceptive. Headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and vomiting are side effects, plus not using a condom can lead to HIV or other STD. In Thailand EC is called "a post-coital pill, a spermicide or a 'temporary contraceptive,'" while "emergency pill" might be a better name, signalling that the pill should be used only in an emergency. June 13, 2002 Bangkok Post
Emergency Contraception Usage - Important Points . Plan B, the better of the two EC pills available in this country, contains no estrogen. Starting EC pills as soon as possible after unprotected sex increases their effectiveness. June 02, 2002 Richard Grossman, MD
Washington Post Examines Barriers to Emergency Contraception Use in United States . Emergency contraception (EC) is legal and has been proven safe and 89% effective when used within 72 hours, but only about 2% of U.S. adult women have used it and only 11% of American women have even heard of it. Ever since birth control pills have been available, a small number of women have realized that taking several of them at one time will stop the implantation of a fertilized egg. But the number of pills to take varies with the product and this use of the pills is not advertised. In addition, side effects such as nausea were often experienced. The new EC products tend to make the process simpler, cheaper, and with fewer side effects. The medical community agrees that EC is not an abortifacient (a drug that induces abortion), but many antiabortion health care providers believe that life begins at conception. Consequently, some pharmacies don't carry or dispense EC. "There are a million and a half unwanted pregnancies in this country every year, half of which end up in an abortion. Why don't we prevent that?" says Thomas Purdon, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). ACOG has urged its members to hand out prophylactic EC prescriptions and call their local pharmacies to make sure the drugs stay stocked. A Kaiser Foundation study found that 58% of ob/gyns discussed EC "sometimes" with their patients, and 16% never discuss it. Which is unfortunate, since nearly 50% of all women experience at least one unwanted pregnancy and 40% of those happen after a contraceptive failure, according to Kirsten Moore, president and CEO of the Washington-based advocacy group Reproductive Health Technologies Project (RHTP). The "Back Up Your Birth Control" campaign (www.backupyourbirthcontrol.org) is trying to convince doctors and the public that EC does not cause abortions and that it is not the same as RU-486, otherwise known as the 'abortion pill.' EC has no effect on a fertilized egg that has implanted in the uterus, an event that usually occurs within five days of intercourse. But the fear of class action lawsuits from antiabortion groups has prevented birth control pills manufacturers from putting out a version of their product to be used as EC, and from noting on the pills' literature that they could be used as EC, even though the FDA invited them to. With low awareness of EC, it sits on pharmacy shelves, plus a woman only needs 2 pills and only in a contraceptive emergency, so it is not very profitable for pharmacies to carry it. Consequently, 75% of the country's pharmacies don't stock Plan B or Preven, two types of EC. EC advocates are encouraging doctors to write advance prescriptions for their sexually active patients and are trying to make it available legally without prescription. EC seems to meet all of the FDA's criteria for nonprescription drugs -- it's not dangerous, addictive or complex, but the FDA wants to study the matter further. May 20, 2002 The Washington Post
UK: Mobile Pharmacy to Sell Morning After Pill at Pop Concerts . Young women at UK pop festivals will be sold the morning after pill (emergency contraception - EC) from mobile pharmacies. The project was designed to help young women who may 'fall victim to a moment of festival passion'. For £19.99 the emergency contraceptive, Levonelle will be available at festivals in Bristol, London, Essex, Staffordshire, Leeds and Kinross in Scotland. April 26, 2002 Daily Mail
California USA: Gov. Davis Orders HMOs to Cover Morning After Pill . By order of the governor, California's health maintenance organizations must cover "morning-after" contraceptives for women. "A woman's right to choose must never be held up by red tape," said Governor Davis, who has been promoting abortion rights and increased access to contraceptives in his fight to re-election. March 27, 2002 Associated Press
U.K.: Tesco Branches to Give Morning-after Pill Free to Teens . In a pilot program, two English supermarkets North Somerset, western England, will give away emergency contraception pills free to teen-age girls who are worried they might be pregnant. Tesco PLC (U.TSC), in collaboration with the local branch of the National Health Service and the North Somerset Teenage Pregnancy Clinic, is sponsoring the project. Trained pharmacists would interview each teen before dispensing the medication. Counseling would be offered along with the pills. "All our work is in the context of encouraging young people to say 'no' if they do not want to have sex and only to engage in sexual activity if they feel ready for it." March 19, 2002 Dow Jones Online News
Emergency Contraception Available Without Prescription in Israel . A "morning after" pill called Postinor 2 is being changed by the Israeli Health Ministry from a prescription-only to an over-the-counter (OTC) drug since many young girls become pregnant on weekends, when access to a physician is limited. England, France, Norway, Portugal and Belgium, already offer it as an OTC drug. A study involving 95,000 women in Britain showed that only a small percentage of them took Postinor 2 a second time after unprotected sex. 90% of the participants at a recent conference of the Israel Society for Contraception and Sexual Health said they supported the new policy. March 14, 2002 The Jerusalem Post online
Teen Voices Provides Information on Emergency Contraception. The current issue of Teen Voices, "an interactive, educational forum that challenges media images of women," features a comprehensive article on emergency contraception, including where and how to obtain it. Teen Voices states that "[EC]s do not cause abortions. They usually prevent your body from ovulating ... so the egg cannot be fertilized by the sperm, or alter the lining of the uterus to make it impossible for a fertilized egg to attach itself to the wall. ... There are no long-term side effects; you do not need to have an exam to receive [EC]; you do not have to be a certain age to receive [EC]" (Teen Voices, 6/01). Teen Voices editor and founder Alison Amoroso said, "Teen Voices is one of the few magazines that dares to inform teenagers that they don't have to get pregnant from unprotected sex, rape or incest" June 01, 2001 Teen Voices release
Pregnancy Prevention, the Morning After. In the U.S., 3 million unintended pregnancies occur each year in this country, followed by about a million medical abortions, but if the women knew about and used emergency contraception, at least half of these could be prevented. Only 2% of U.S. women have ever used it and only about 11% know of its existence, even though the method - taking multiple doses of oral contraceptives within a few days of unprotected intercourse - has been known for more than a quarter century. The producers of 'morning after' products have no advertising budgets to make the products widely known, and less than 20% of gynecologists provide advance prescriptions for their patients. A doctor's prescription is required, but most experts consider this unnecessary since they are very safe. Not having the product available over the counter is a problem if exposure occurs on a Friday night and the woman cannot get to a doctor until Monday. At $30, Preven contains the estrogen ethinyl estradiol and a synthetic progesterone (progestin) called levonorgestrel, the same hormones that are in oral contraceptives at higher doses, and is 57% effective, and may involve nausea and vomiting. At only $20, Plan B contains only levonorgestrel, is more effective (85% effective) than Preven and, because it lacks estrogen, has fewer unpleasant side effects. Both products involve taking two pills within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse, followed 12 hours later by another two pills. The products can be obtained directly from a pharmacist only in British Columbia, England, France, Portugal, and the U.S. state of Washington. A copper IUD inserted within five days of unprotected intercourse can also be used as emergency contraception, and has the advantage of preventing virtually 100% of pregnancies, and if it is not removed, it can prevent pregnancy for up to 10 years. Half of all women have had at least one unintended pregnancy, the most common reason is failure to anticipate sexual activity and, thus, failure to use contraception. Many women think that "if you plan ahead, it's not right; you should be swept away," as Dr. Vivien Hanson, a family planning specialist in Seattle, put it. Also there is condom failure, the misplaced diaphragm, and a missed pill when taking oral contraceptives. The products do not cause abortions - they suppress ovulation and cause changes in the cervical mucus that can make it impenetrable by sperm. If an egg is fertilized, emergency contraception may interfere with its transport down the fallopian tube, causing it to die before it can become implanted in the uterus. If a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus - the definition of pregnancy - using emergency contraception will not dislodge or destroy it and there is no risk to a developing fetus if the woman should happen to be already pregnant. April 10, 2001 New York Times*
Emergency Contraception Education Campaign Kicks Off. Over 100 national and local women's health advocacy groups and medical organizations, coordinated by the Reproductive Health Technologies Project, are promoting public awareness about emergency contraception in a campaign called "Back Up Your Birth Control." The goal is to "put emergency contraception in women's hands before they need it" to help reduce the three million unintended pregnancies that occur in the United States each year. If taken within 72 hours after sexual intercourse, EC is 89% effective in reducing pregnancy. The campaign encourages physicians to discuss EC with their patients, pharmacists to discuss it with their customers and citizens to discuss it with their elected officials. Among the co-sponsors are the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, Feminist Majority Foundation, National Abortion Federation, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. U.S. legislation introduced in March would provide $10 million over five years to the CDC for a government-sponsored awareness campaign to make women and doctors more aware of the availability of EC. In other news, Planned Parenthood of Omaha-Council Bluffs in Omaha, Neb. encourages women to obtain a prescription from the clinic before the need arises. They do not need an exam but must undergo a screening to receive the pills. March 7, 2002 Kaiser Weekly Reproductive Health Report
Emergency Contraception: Have We Come Full Circle? . Two decades ago, Dr. Felicia Stewart began her campaign to let out of the closet "America's best-kept secret" - emergency contraception twenty years ago. Many providers thought the method was "not effective enough," or would lead women to use it "too much" - in place of using other more effective methods. Dr. Stewart and other women's health advocates pushed to make emergency contraception more public and more available because they saw the need for a method that could be used after sex and one that was safe enough to provide without the barrier of a medical interface. They believed that women could learn to use the method appropriately, and that women had the right to this important option. After twenty years there are many dedicated emergency contraception products now available worldwide, women's awareness and use of EC has been increased, and, in the U.S., the direct to consumer marketing of EC by a pharmaceutical company. Also the method is popular. Recently it has been shown that emergency contraception is not as effective in reducing unwanted pregnancy rates at a level for which we once hoped, which has slowed funding, and women are using it repeatedly instead of switching to other more effective methods. Also, by providing it directly to women we are missing opportunities to provide women with a full range of reproductive health services. However, it should be remembered that emergency contraception fills a unique and important role in the mix of available contraceptive methods; it is effective enough to be promoted as a contraceptive option; and women's use of the method contributes in a positive way to every woman's significant challenge of how to avoid unplanned pregnancies over her lengthy fertile years. Emergency contraception is the only method a woman can easily use post-coitally, important not only for women who have had no control over their exposure to sex, as in the case of sexual violence, but also for couples who find themselves in need of contraception after sex. Also the method is convenient compared to other methods because it can be used without having to see a doctor or health care provider. Women are willing to pay more for emergency contraceptive pills than for a month of oral contraceptive pills. This should tell us something about what women want. While EC did not produce the hoped-for level of pregnancy prevention, the fact is that women with enhanced access to emergency contraception do not always use it when they need it - individual women have a right to use the contraceptive method that best suits them, not the one that best contributes to overall demographic indicators. Estimates of the effectiveness of emergency contraceptive pills range from 59% to 94%, but it is more effective than doing nothing. While it was found that the typical effectiveness of condoms and pills was much lower than their theoretical effectiveness, we did not push women to stop using them in favor of more effective IUDs or towards sterilization because it has the highest level of real effectiveness. Providing access to a wide variety of contraceptive methods is an effective approach to helping a diverse range of women meet their reproductive needs and desires. Women (and men), when considering contraception methods, prioritize effectiveness, but also may consider other factors, like convenience, privacy, insurance coverage, avoiding hormones, and the reputation - accurate or not - of the method. These factors change over the course of a woman's life, explaining why the average woman uses between three and four different contraceptive methods during her lifetime. August 21, 2009 RH Reality Check
U.K.: Morning-After Pill the Choice for 50% of Young Women. The morning-after pill is the contraceptive of choice. A survey of 500 students found nearly half used the pill. 7 in 10 of those who took it did so because they hadn't used any other form of precaution. The drug was advertised last month and is on sale online as well as pharmacies. Critics claim easy availability of emergency contraception will encourage women to have unprotected sex. The latest study was carried out among students in their late teens and early 20s in SW London. A fifth said they had had more than one sexual partner in a week and one in ten claimed to have slept with at least two women in one day. A third said they did not regularly use condoms, leaving them at risk of sexually transmitted infections. When the morning-after pill was first approved for use in the UK, assurances were given that it would be used only in exceptional circumstances and under the control of doctors. The morning-after pill is lulling young women into a false sense of security, exposing them to increased risk of sexually transmitted infections. Sex education isn't getting through to people. The morning-after pill was designed for occasional use only. It is important it doesn't replace regular contraception methods. May 2, 2009 Daily Mail
Chile's Policy of Free Emergency Contraception Under Threat. Conservative officials in Chile are threatening the emergency contraception (EC) policies with a lawsuit that would ban EC. Under the President Michelle Bachelet's administration, all forms of birth control have been free for women over 14 at public clinics since 2006. Conservatives argue that the policy violates the Chilean ban on abortion based on the misconception that EC is a form of abortion. Despite the Catholic influence on Chile, 49% of Chileans believe that women should have the right to access EC. President Bachelet's administration is battling pharmaceutical companies to force them to keep emergency contraception in stock. President Bachelet has enforced legislation to ensure birth control's availability. February 12, 2008 Ms. Magazine
Morning-after Pill Not Linked to Drop in Unplanned Pregnancy. Women who receive an advance supply of the "morning after pill" have an equal chance of becoming pregnant as women who do not. This is based on studies of more than 6,000 women in the US, India and China. EC use was higher among women given an advance supply of the birth control pills, but that did not translate to a drop in pregnancy. We don't know if women were using EC at the times when they were at risk for pregnancy. Marie Stopes International disputed the findings. If someone has an accident and is prepared, the quicker they take emergency contraception, the more effective it is. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service urges women to keep the pill ready at home in case they risk pregnancy. The findings should not prevent easier access to emergency contraception. Women deserve the chance to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy. The presence of EC does not lead to an increase in promiscuity. There was no difference in sexually transmitted infection rates between the two groups, unprotected sex, condom use or changes in use of other contraception. Advance provision of EC has no harmful effects in terms of risky sexual behaviours. April 18, 2007 Press Association (UK)
Chile;: President Stands Her Ground on Emergency Contraception. When Chilean President Michelle Bachelet announced that the country would provide emergency contraception to “everyone who requires it†she was aware of the storm that would ensue. Six years ago, as health minister, Bachelet proposed giving sex abuse victims access to the emergency contraceptive pill, at drugstores by doctor's prescription. A flurry of lawsuits, counter suits, injunctions, and constitutional challenges have pitted pro-life forces led by the Catholic Church against Bachelet's government, backed by women's rights organizations and health professionals. Before the Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling and banned the sale of Postinal, considering it abortifacent, the governmental drug licensing agency had already approved a second product, Postinor-2. Even though Postinor-2 has the same components as Postinal, the Santiago Court of Appeals ruled that the plaintiffs could not represent unborn babies and that scientific or ethical determinations about when life begins are out of the court's realm of competency. Bachelet signed into law the Regulations on Fertility that permit women over 14 to obtain Postinor-2 without parental consent. Chilean law enacted in recent years lowered the statutory age at which minors may be tried as adults and the age of informed sexual consent to 14 years of age from 16. Mayors of the Independent Democratic Union party, influenced by traditional Catholic doctrine, vowed to block the distribution of emergency contraception in public clinics in their municipalities, while congressional advocates have filed protective orders against these mayors. A final ruling from the Constitutional Tribunal is expected later this year. Midwives or doctors at public health clinics administer Postinor-2, prefaced by counseling on birth control methods. Family planning programs in Chile began in the mid-1960s, when an average 550 women died annually due to complications related to childbirth. During the same period, and with therapeutic abortion still legal in Chile, an estimated 300 women died each year as a consequence of illegal abortions. Then-President Eduardo Frei Montalva a devout Catholic, put aside his personal beliefs to initiate free distribution of birth control methods to save women's lives. The 1973-1990 dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet maintained this family planning practice, but a lack of consensus within the Junta on penalties delayed the banning of therapeutic abortion until Bishop Jorge Medina interceded to urge the regime to enact the prohibition in September 1989, six months before the inauguration of the first democratically elected government in 17 years. April 17, 2007 Latin America Press
Plan B Compromise Might Be Closer: Church is Studying Draft Contraception Bill Proposed by Lawmakers. Women's advocates and the Catholic Church are trying to agree on a compromise that would allow rape victims treated at Catholic hospitals to get emergency birth control pills in a way that does not violate the church's abortion ban. Under the proposal by legislators who favor universal access to Plan B emergency contraception, Catholic hospitals could contract with an independent health care provider to perform rape examinations and offer the pills. The private provider would be paid by the state. If an ethicist determines that the proposal does not violate Catholic doctrines, a law requiring all Connecticut hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims could be voted on soon. The 2-year-old debate has become a public relations nightmare for a church battered by priest sexual abuse scandals. Archbishop Mansell ssaid "We are not opposed to emergency contraception for women who are victims of rape, we are opposed to abortion. Church leaders brought a proposal that was immediately rejected. It would have allowed a rape victim who was denied emergency contraception to call an independent counselor or sexual assault nurse. That independent care provider could bring the pills to the hospital, but would have to give them to the victim off the hospital grounds. A group of lawmakers suggested that Catholic hospitals be allowed to contract with an independent rape examiner who would be called as soon as a rape victim arrived and would perform the examination and offer emergency contraception. A rape victim at any hospital would be offered emergency contraception after a negative pregnancy test. Catholic hospitals offer Plan B only after an ovulation test shows there is no possibility of future pregnancy. A similar bill died in the final days of the legislative session amid strong pressure from the Catholic Church. This year votes appear to be in favor of Plan B supporters. In several other states, including New York and New Jersey, Catholic hospitals have agreed to administer Plan B to sexual assault victims as long as they are not pregnant. Advocates have said that forcing a rape victim to find a pharmacy and pay for the pills adds to the trauma of rape. Connecticut Catholic leaders counter that forcing them to offer the pill in their hospitals violates their religious freedom because Plan B can interfere with implantation of an embryo in the uterus, which in Catholic eyes, amounts to abortion. March 31, 2007 Hartford Courant (US)
Kroger: No Refusing Morning - After Pill. Kroger Co. reiteraterd its drug policies to all of its pharmacists after a Georgia woman claimed she was denied the morning after pill. The chain said if its pharmacists object to fulfilling a request, the store must have that prescription filled for the customer. Koger's role is to furnish medication in accordance with the doctor's prescription. Carrie Baker, said a Kroger pharmacist in Rome, Ga., refused to supply her with the contraceptive. Girls 17 and younger still need a prescription to buy the drug, which the FDA made available over-the-counter to adults in August. Supporters say widespread availability will cut down on unwanted pregnancies and abortions. Critics argue it encourages promiscuity and unprotected sex. Major pharmacy chains have pledged to ensure that customers can buy Plan B, even if one employee declines to provide service for reasons of conscience. March 11, 2007 Associated Press
Over-the-counter Pill Plan Debate The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the drug regulating agency in the United Kingdom, is meeting to consider making the pill available over-the-counter without a doctor's prescription. Doctors warn that the MHRA should proceed with caution because of potential side effects of the pill. February 12, 2007 BBC News
U.K.;: Morning-after Pill Not Cutting Abortion Rate. Making it easier to get emergency contraception has not reduced abortion rates in the UK. The focus should be on getting people to take precautions before or during sex. Despite the availability of emergency contraception in the country, abortion rates rose to 17.8 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 in 2004 from 11 per 1,000 in 1984. One percent of women requesting an abortion in 1984 said they had used emergency contraception to try and prevent the pregnancy, 6% had done so in 1996 and 12% in 2002. The morning-after pill is available over the counter, from doctors, and some hospitals and sexual health clinics. Over-the-counter purchases of the emergency pill rose from 27% of all its sales in 2003/04 to 50% in 2004/05. September 15, 2006 Reuters
U.S.: Catholic Barriers to Plan B. The majority of Catholic hospitals refuse to provide emergency conception, even to women who have been raped. Even among those that do, many place barriers in the way; if there is evidence that the woman is already ovulating, even if fertilization has not occurred, it cannot be used. A study of 597 Catholic emergency rooms in 2002 found that only 5% provide EC to women on request. A further 23% will provide it only to women who have been raped if they can prove they are not ovulating or already pregnant, 55% do not provide it at all. In 2005, more than 35% of Catholic hospitals in the states that mandate the provision of emergency contraception to rape victims are still not providing EC. April 11, 2006 Washington Post
Morning-after Contraception Rules Considered by Maryland Lawmakers. A proposal would allow women needing emergency contraception to visit a pharmacist and receive the pills without a prescription. If approved, Maryland would join seven states that allow pharmacists to dispense the morning-after pill without a doctor's prescription. Sen. Grosfeld sponsored the no-prescription bill and said the bill's fortunes are better because of increased public attention to whether morning-after pills should be available over the counter. Grosfeld told reporters that women deserve access to emergency contraception. The bill is being supported by Doug Duncan, a Democrat who is running for governor. Duncan called on lawmakers to approve the bill this year. Opponents counter that increased access to the morning-after pill may not reduce unwanted pregnancies. Republican Sen. Harris challenged a pharmacist who argued for over-the-counter access. Another opponent, questioned whether the morning-after pill was safe without first being examined by a doctor and felt that easy access could lead to sexually dangerous behavior. Women who received the pills without a prescription would have to be given instructions on how to take the pills and a fact sheet on the risks of sexually transmitted disease. Emergency Contraception is nothing more than regular birth control pills with increased dosage. Those who oppose EC are probably opposing contraception ın general. February 16, 2006 Associated Press
Suspended From Work Over Emergency Contraception. Walgreens suspended four pharmacists in the St. Louis area, without pay, for refusing to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception. The pharmacists cited religious or moral beliefs as reasons for declining to dispense EC. Walgreens policy states that pharmacists can decline to fill prescriptions on moral grounds in states where the law allows it, but they must refer patients to another pharmacist or store that will fill the prescription. Walgreens is enforcing Illinois law, but its corporate policy on E.C. is no better than Target's. Walgreens still won't guarantee that if a pharmacist at one of its stores refuses to dispense the pills, another one at that same Walgreens will do it. Here's Planned Parenthood's list http://www.saveroe.com/fillmypillsnow/scored.php of the pharmacies that do and don't have good emergency-contraception policies. December 06, 2005 PPFA
Plan B Contraceptive Thriving on Controversy: Sales Were Already Picking Up After Health Canada Okayed 'morning After' Pill for Over-the-counter Sales. Controversy over access to the so-called "morning-after" contraceptive isn't hurting sales in Canada. Paladin launched Plan B as a prescription drug in Canada nearly five years ago, but Health Canada approved it as an over-the-counter emergency contraceptive in April. Under Canadian law, only non-prescription medications can be promoted commercially. The pill, which if taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse can reduce the risk of pregnancy by up to 90% has made headlines because of personal information gathered by pharmacists of the women seeking to buy it. Plan B can only be sold after consultation with an accredited druggist and the Canadian Pharmacists Association is advising its members to collect the sensitive information before dispensing the drug. The secretary-general of the Quebec Order of Pharmacists said the questions are mandatory for a variety of reasons, including the fact that some women are reimbursed medicare and they have a file for proof if ever there are problems down the road. Pharmacists are also required to counsel women on other methods of birth control. In cases where a pharmacist refuses to dispense the pill on religious or moral grounds, women are to be referred to other druggists. December 22, 2005 The Gazette
Planned Parenthood Takes Aim at Target; Birth Control:the Store Allows Its Pharmacists with Religious Objections to Refuse to Fill Prescriptions for the Morning-After Pill. Target's 1,150 stores allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraception, if it is against their religious beliefs. Planned Parenthood takes issue with Target for allowing its pharmacists to send customers someplace else to get the pills. Target officials said their policy is reasonable as it applies only to emergency contraception and not to other forms of birth control. Pharmacists throughout the country have made headlines by refusing to provide women with birth control for religious reasons. Wal-Mart refuses to stock emergency contraception, but claims that's because there is not enough demand. Target's pharmacy in northeast Minneapolis has an arrangement with the University of Minnesota Health Service. Any woman or student can walk in 24 hours a day and ask for the pills without having to see a doctor first. Target's pharmacists are expected to ask another pharmacist in the same store to fill the prescription and if none is available, they are required to call another pharmacy to make sure that the drug is in stock and that the customer can get it. But that's particularly burdensome for women who need emergency contraception, because the sooner the pills are taken after unprotected intercourse, the more effective they are. Some groups say they object to emergency contraception because it could result in an abortion, but medical experts say that's not so. November 12, 2005 Star Tribune (US)
University of Texas at Austin to Study Latinas' Use of the Pill. University of Texas researchers have received a grant to study oral contraceptive use by Latinas on the border, many of whom travel to Mexico to purchase birth control pills from pharmacies that do not require a prescription. The study will look at whether women use them correctly and know the risks involved. This could be a model for how contraceptives could be sold over the counter in the U.S. Last year, the FDA rejected the morning-after pill for over-the-counter use. The study will track two groups of low-income Hispanic women who live in El Paso and Ciudad Jurez: those who get birth control pills from low-income clinics in the United States and those who get them from Mexican pharmacies, which are cheaper and do not require a prescription. Researchers will track 1,500 women for nine months. In another part of the study, participants will read a list of factors that could put a pill user at risk, then decide whether they would be a good fit. A nurse will take blood pressure and medical history and make their own judgment. Getting contraceptives without a prescription could discourage women from seeing a doctor for regular exams. Would pills obtained in Mexico be as safe and effective as those manufactured in the US. Researchers believe contraceptives from Mexico are as good as those in the US. The study would also track how often women who bought pills without a prescription had pap smears and other exams. The director of the anti-abortion Coalition for Life said making the pill readily available would be unwise and unsafe as: how would we prevent teens form getting their hands on it. But one scientist said he believes there is a movement to separate women's wellness exams from prescribing the pill because they are not related. It's important to get this evidence so when the time is right to push for getting oral contraception over the counter we will have a solid body of evidence that can't be disputed. November 19, 2005 San Antonio Express-News (US)
U.S.: For Those Who Believe in the Sanctity of Life; Why Morning-after Pill is Pro-life and Not Abortion in Disguise. Most Americans are more comfortable with birth control than they are with abortion. The pro-life movement has opposed the morning-after pill as abortion in disguise. Anti-abortion groups argue that by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg, it destroys a fetus. That reputation has been enough to deter the FDA from approving over-the-counter sales of the medication known as Plan B. But the reputation is groundless. The best scientific evidence indicates that the morning-after pill serves to block fertilization, while having no effect on implantation and that makes it contraception. A drug once believed to produce abortion prevents abortion. Many groups that oppose abortion have no use for Plan B. But they're aiming at the wrong target. A consensus among experts that "there is no scientific evidence the pills prevent implantation--and considerable evidence they work mainly by blocking the release of an egg from the woman's ovary, so no embryo is formed." The GAO report agrees. The drug can prevent pregnancy by impeding sperm and delaying ovulation, but it has "not been shown to cause a change in the uterus that could interfere with implantation of a fertilized egg." Breast-feeding is known to cause uterine changes that can prevent a fertilized egg from being implanted. Just as nursing is morally and ethically permissible because it advances worthy purposes, so is the morning-after pill. If emergency contraception were widely and easily available, it could prevent a lot of pregnancies that would end in abortion. November 17, 2005 Chicago Tribune (US)
Australia: Morning-after Insurance; Many Reasons for Emergency Pill Use. The stigma placed on users of the emergency contraceptive pill as having casual sex and not being in relationships could change since a recent study done by the University of Melbourne. The study found that 26 of the 32 women in the study were in fact in a relationship and that the majority of the women were in fact very responsible with their normal method of cotraceptives. In addition it was found that half of the women also used condoms as a contraceptive method. The majority of the women were in fact using the emergency contraceptive pill because of problems with the use of their normal oral contraceptive pill, like missing a pill, or the implications of combining medications with the pill and lessening it's affect. Dr Keogh [from the University of Melbourne] said, "Two of the main categories of women in this study show a high level of responsibility in managing their contraception, while a small number of risk takers occasionally use emergency contraception and see it as a legitimate way to prevent pregnancy." So, unlike the assumptions that most emergency contraceptive users are also casually having sex ... this study supports the correlations between responsible contraceptive users, those in committed relationships and using the emergency contraceptive pill is higher than presumed. November 09, 2005 Herald Sun (Australia)
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Emergency Contraception Availabity. Planned Parenthood sent more than 124 volunteers to California pharmacies and they made visits at 149 pharmacies in 29 California counties where they presented prescriptions for an emergency contraceptive (Plan B). There were four cases where volunteers had their prescriptions refused. Senate Bill 644 would create a duty to dispense lawfully prescribed medications and require pharmacists to notify their employer if they object to filling prescriptions so the pharmacy can guarantee its customers timely access. It also requires that if a pharmacy does not stock a medication, a referral must be made to another pharmacy within a reasonable distance that is known to stock. One volunteer had her prescription refused although she had called the pharmacy to verify that it had Plan B in stock. On presenting her prescription, she was told "We don't do that here." Later, another project volunteer visited the same pharmacy and had her prescription filled by another pharmacist. Swanson's prescription was also refused at a second pharmacy which had verified the availability of Plan B by phone. Four pharmacists refused to fill prescriptions for Plan B though they had the drug in stock. 59% (143) of the pharmacies carried emergency contraception. 71% of pharmacies who didn't stock EC provided a referral to another pharmacy. 13% of pharmacies that did not have EC in stock refused to provide a referral to another pharmacy. In 5 instances women who received referrals had to visit multiple pharmacies and still couldn't get their prescriptions filled because the referral pharmacies did not stock. 86% of the women reported that their experiences with pharmacists were "Very respectful" or "Mostly respectful." 14% of the women reported that their experiences with pharmacists met with "Subtle Disapproval," "Overt Disapproval," or "Strong Condescension and Open Disdain." Good news! SB644 was signed by the Governor of California in September. June 09, 2005 Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
U.S.: Controversy Continues around Allowing Emergency Contraceptive Drug to Be Sold without Prescription. Luke Vander Bleeck is a pharmacist who fills prescriptions for monthly birth control pills, but not for emergency contraception. He told a US House committee that his problem is not one of chemical makeup, but of intent. He says his understanding of emergency contraception is that it can stop an egg from being fertilized, which he doesn't object to, or it can stop an already fertilized egg from implanting itself, to which he does object. But most doctors say that fertilized egg alone does not constitute the beginning of a pregnancy but consider a pregnancy as beginning when a fertilized egg has implanted itself in the uterus. Exactly when pregnancy begins is more than a medical question, says Rachel Gold of a reproductive research group. It's a critical distinction because how you define when a pregnancy begins is how you distinguish between what is preventing a pregnancy and what is terminating a pregnancy. The federal government has long agreed that pregnancy begins at implantation. If the purpose of the drug is to prevent implantation, it is not considered an abortion. But abortion opponents say asking when pregnancy begins is the wrong question. The American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. say that "It's not that important when pregnancy starts. An individual human being starts at fertilization. He did prescribe birth controls when he practiced, but didn't prescribe emergency contraception, because he wasn't sure how it worked. A further complication is the confusion between emergency contraception and RU-486, which does cause an abortion, the two are completely different. Emergency contraception does not have an effect on an established pregnancy while RU-486, is designed to interrupt an established pregnancy. August 05, 2005 NPR
U.K.: Call for Easier Access to 'Morning After' Pill. Over 2,300 morning after contraceptive pills have been prescribed by GPs and clinics in Londonderry in the past year, and the Western Health and Social Services Board (WHSSB) said the figure was only a fraction compared to the pills being issued over the counter. The revelation came amid claims that the only services offering the pill in Derry are the eight family planning clinics run by Foyle Trust, which are shut at the weekend. The Derry branch of pro-life group Precious Life called for the "early abortive" morning after pill to be banned outright. The debate was raised after it was claimed many women in deprived areas were too poor to shell out the cash to purchase the pill from chemists. GPs issued 3,460 prescriptions for the morning after pill in its area over the past 12 months. There is a good supply through family planning clinics and patients can also purchase over the counter from community pharmacies. August 16, 2005 Telegraph
US Wisconsin: Overreaction on Pill. Health officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison advocated the use of emergency contraception for female students on spring break to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The decision caused a statewide flap and prompted state legislators to push legislation that would prohibit UW health centers from prescribing, distributing or advertising to students emergency contraception. The Attorney General believes such legislation would be unconstitutional as denying female students access to medications would be a form of gender discrimination. Others think the legislation would be an intrusion into the health affairs of students. Ads were run advising students they could get a prescription for the pill over the phone by calling University Health Services and critics thought they encouraged students to be sexually active and failed to warn them that the pill wouldn't protect them from sexually transmitted diseases. But the problem then was with the ads, not with the availability of the pill. Much of the opposition is coming from anti-abortion groups, who continue to falsely claim that the pill is a means of abortion. What they neglect to point out is that a scientific panel of the FDA concluded in 2003 that if the morning-after pill were available over the counter, it would help to prevent abortions. June 15, 2005 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
U.S.: Morning-After Pill Doesn't Increase Unsafe Sex. Morning-after contraceptive pills sold over the counter does not increase their use. Beginning in January of 2001, emergency contraception has been available without prescription in the UK. Opponents of this policy are concerned that it encourages unprotected sex and promiscuity. A team surveyed women 16 to 49 years in 2000, 2001 and 2002 regarding their use of contraceptives. Answers showed that the proportion of women reporting current use of contraception remained unchanged and use of emergency contraception remained the same. The proportion using emergency contraception once per year was 6.5%, 6.3% and 5.6% during each period. The proportion using emergency contraception more than once was 2.0%, 1.5% and 1.7%. The only apparent change was in the places where women procured emergency contraception. The proportions obtaining the morning-after pill from a pharmacy increased from zero in 2000 to 19.7% in 2001 and 32.6% in 2002. During the same periods, fewer women obtained emergency contraception from a general practitioner or family planning clinic. Easier access is likely to have prevented more pregnancies. The study supports the case for lifting the ban on over-the-counter sales of emergency hormonal contraception in the US and other countries. July 08, 2005 British Medical Journal
U.S.: AMA: Doctors Should Be Able to Sell Drugs. The American Medical Association wants physicians to be able to dispense medications if a pharmacist claims a conscientious objection and balks at filling the prescription. Faced with reports pharmacists are citing conscientious objections to filling prescriptions for contraceptives and other drugs, the AMA called for state laws that would allow physicians to dispense medications when no nearby pharmacist is willing to do so. The policy would affect rural areas where no pharmacist can be found within a 30-mile radius. The new policy is an attempt to overcome a trend by pharmacists who say they cannot dispense the emergency contraception pill, birth control pills; drugs used to treat psychiatric illnesses; and, often, pain medications. Not only are the patients not getting prescriptions filled, but pharmacists are refusing to return the prescriptions and lecturing the patients about the drugs. The Pharmacists Association recognizes an individual pharmacist's right to exercise conscientious refusal and supports systems to ensure patient access to legally prescribed therapy. Physicians say that means pharmacists must refer patients to other pharmacists who are willing to fill the prescriptions. The Pharmacists Association said it has not received any complaints about pharmacists refusing to refer patients or refusing to return prescriptions. The pharmacist organization has no mechanism to censure pharmacists who refuse to refer patients or refuse to return prescriptions. June 22, 2005 UPI
U.S.: American Medical Association Takes on Pharmacists' Moral Refusals to Fill Prescriptions. Several physicians' groups say a growing number of pharmacists are refusing to fill prescriptions for contraceptives they consider a form of abortion. Under the policy adopted at the AMA's annual meeting, the group will support legislation that requires pharmacists to fill valid prescriptions or to immediately refer patients to other pharmacies that will. When used after sex, emergency contraceptives block a fertilized egg from implanting in the womb. Legislation in several states protects pharmacists who cite moral, religious or personal reasons for refusing to fill prescriptions. The American Pharmacists Association supports pharmacists' right to refuse but urges those who do to ensure patient access to necessary medication. In some areas doctors dispense medication when pharmacists aren't available, but it deprives patients of a pharmacist's consultation. June 27, 2005 American Medical Association
Australia: Morning-after Pill Refused; 'Battleground' Over Contraceptives Supply. A spokesman for the Pharmacy Guild of Australia said a small number of pharmacists had refused to provide the morning after pill, but were urged to refer women to other chemists willing to provide the pill. But Reproductive Health Alliance chief executive said access to emergency contraception was a new battleground in Austrailia and the US. Women wanting to prevent an unwanted pregnancy were the casualties. Some pharmacists refused to supply emergency contraception, while others would lecture women about their sexual behaviour. The morning-after pill is available without prescription in pharmacies and individual pharmacists had the right to choose whether they supplied it. The Opposition maintained pharmacists were obliged to offer a full range of products, particularly in one-chemist towns. Chemists had a community obligation as the Government granted protection to the industry including banning new pharmacies opening within 1.5km of existing ones. But Mr Wilks, who owns Pharmacist Advice in Sydney, said he objected to for moral reasons and the drug was unsafe because it delivered a dose of hormones that could cause blood clots, nausea and ectopic pregnancy. But others said this was used by some to deny women access to the morning after pill, which was one of the safest drugs to take. April 01, 2005 Canberra Times (Australia)
Lawmaker Pushes to Keep University of Wisconsin System From Giving Birth Control Pill. A Wisconsin lawmaker, Rep Daniel leMahieu, wants to make it illegal for clinics serving University of Wisconsin campuses to provide students birth control pills, because such services promote promiscuity. The clinic serving UW-Madison students, had taken out ads in campus newspapers urging students to get prescriptions for the morning-after pill before leaving for spring break. Rep. Therese Berceau, said the proposal was based on a notion that denying young people access to birth control will stop them from having sex. March 20, 2005 Associated Press
Pill Ads Can't Be Blocked, Legislators Told; Law Against University of Wisconsin Advocating Contraception Would Be Illegal. Legislation that would prohibit the U of Wisconsin from advocating or providing emergency contraception to students would be unconstitutional the Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager said in an advisory opinion. He was responding to a request from Democratic lawmakers, who are trying to block a bill that would prevent the university from advertising or dispensing the morning-after pill. Republicans said lawmakers usually turn to the Legislative Reference Bureau for advice on legislation being drafted. They took opponents to task for seeking an opinion on a measure that has yet to be introduced. The legislation is to be introduced later this week. Rep. Dan LeMahieu developed the legislation in response to advertisements in student newspapers that urged students to pack a dose of the morning-after pill in their suitcases for spring break. It remains controversial because some abortion opponents consider its effect to be a chemical abortion. Lautenschlager's opinion said it would be unconstitutional because it would: Violate female students' right to privacy. Discriminate against female students by denying them access to medication that only women may need. Infringe on free speech protections by preventing the UW System from advertising emergency contraception. Few students had heeded the advice in the advertisements and obtained a dose of the morning-after pill for spring break. University Health Services is funded by student fees, not taxpayer dollars and is a key part of student life. Half of the student body receive care from the university agency during the school year. April 06, 2005 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
U.S.: Sex Habits Unchanged by Emergency Pill. Young women who have easy access to "morning-after" pills are not likely to abandon their usual birth control method or engage in risky sexual behavior. Proponents of over-the-counter sales say a prescription represents an unneeded obstacle to Plan B, which is most effective when taken within 24 hours of unprotected intercourse. Opponents argue that easier access will lead to increased promiscuity. Barr Laboratories submitted a proposal to sell its emergency contraceptive without a prescription to women 16 and older. The new study enrolled 2,117 women, ages 15 to 24, from family-planning clinics. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three sources of emergency contraception: the clinic, nearby pharmacies without a prescription, and their own medicine cabinet. It was thought that easier access would lower pregnancy rates. Rates of unprotected intercourse and sexually transmitted infections were similar in all three groups, those who received emergency contraceptive pills in advance were twice as likely to use them as other participants. But each of the groups had similar pregnancy rates, because many women who reported having unprotected sex didn't use emergency contraception, and few women used it more than once. They may not think they're going to get pregnant or not feel comfortable using it. They may not actually have it when they need it. Though critics fear women will come to depend on emergency contraception if they can easily get it, we're seeing the exact opposite. January 05, 2005 USA Today
Australia: 'morning After Pill' Slow to Catch on . Sales of the emergency contraceptive levonorgestrel, sold OTC as Postinor-2, had increased about 15% since January 1 2004, lower than the 30-35% per cent indicated by overseas research. About 40% were in cases where contraception had been used but believed to have failed. The number of young women under 20 using the drug was lower than expected. Most of the sales were on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Last year, groups criticised the Government's move to sell the drug over-the-counter. The AMA said the need to see a doctor for a prescription meant patients could be educated about contraception, unprotected sex and screening for STDs. A lack of education about the availability of Postinor-2 meant there was confusion, ignorance and lack of awareness. A survey of 150 Brisbane women, aged 18 and under, found 20% were unaware of the pill and 40% unaware of the specific product. There had been a corresponding decline in people requesting emergency contraception from the clinics, but many young people came to the clinics because the cost was not as high. Postinor-2 costs about $30 in chemists. More sex education was needed to increase knowledge about the product and its role. January 06, 2005 Courier Mail
Free Contraceptive Stirs Debate; a Controversial Plan to Make the Morning-after Pill Available to Peru's Poor Women at No Charge Has Stirred Debate. Peru's health minister has stirred controversy with a plan to make the morning-after pill available free at public-health clinics in this Roman Catholic country. Three conservative members of Congress want to dismiss the minister, and perhaps have her jailed on grounds that she is promoting abortion, which is illegal here. Mazzetti said that making the morning-after pill available would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in Peru and illegal abortions. This controversy is also being played out in Mexico, Chile, Colombia and other Latin American countries because of a campaign by pro-choice groups to expand the availability of the morning-after pill. The Latin American debates are an extension of the battles that have been fought in the US over the past 30 years. What happens in Latin America will affect the rest of the world. At issue is a pill that women can take in the 72 hours after having unprotected sexual intercourse to prevent an unwanted preganancy. Members of the anti-abortion movement argue that it inhibits a fertilized egg from adhering to the womb, which they equate with abortion. Pro-choice activists say it keeps the sperm from fertilizing the egg. Both sides have presented scientific studies to support their position. About 6,000 women die from abortion-related causes every year in Latin America as there are 4.5 million abortions a year in the region with 410,000 a year in Peru. Some say that expanding the availability of the morning-after pill would promote promiscuity among teenagers and legalize abortions, homosexual marriage and the de-Christianization of Latin America. The pill has been for sale in Peru since 2001 but the cost is prohibitive to most women but the health ministry expect that 150,000 pills will be provided to poor women next year. November 08, 2004 Miami Herald
FDA Weighs Morning-After Pill for Teens. Some worry that the long-term effects of emergency contraception on young women are unknown or argue that it encourages teens to have sex. Barr Pharmaceuticals has submitted a proposal to sell its Plan B brand to people 16 and older, but to require anyone younger to consult a physician. Such access would make it easier to get emergency contraception on evenings and weekends. Others see it as a way for teens who don't want their parents to know they're having sex to prevent unwanted pregnancy. One doctor says the topic of unplanned pregnancy and emergency contraception comes up with her patients nearly every day, but few want to discuss it with their parents. A physician who opposes over-the-counter sale fears that young women would skip visits to the gynecologist if they didn't need to see a doctor to get it. He also says some young women might not want to use emergency contraception if they knew that the morning-after pill can prevent pregnancy by delaying a woman's ovulation or keeping sperm from fertilizing an egg. It also can thin the uterus lining, making it difficult for a fertilized egg to implant. Many in the medical field see interfering with a fertilized egg as abortion. Experts concluded that access to emergency contraception could cut by half the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions among U.S. women ages 15 to 44. The FDA's scientific advisers voted, 23-4, in favor of Barr Pharmaceuticals proposal to sell Plan B with no age restriction. FDA acting chief overruled the vote due to concern about young teenagers' use of emergency contraception without a doctor's guidance and the long-term effects. October 18, 2004 Associated Press
Minister: Morning-After Pill's Distribution to Go ahead in Peru, Despite Opposition. Peru's health minister Pilar Mazzetti said the government plans to distribute morning-after birth control pills at public health clinics, despite an attempt by conservative lawmakers in this predominantly Roman Catholic country to have her prosecuted for promoting abortion. Mazzetti said the pill prevents pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation and must be taken within 72 hours of intercourse. Three legislators denounced Mazzetti for "lying" that the pills are not a form of abortion because they cancel a pregnancy before the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus. The legislators, argued that life begins upon fertilization and want to lift Mazzetti's constitutional immunity to face criminal charges. Abortion is illegal in Peru, except where the mother's life is in danger. If this accusation is presented, the Ministry of Health will have to back up its decisions. October 11, 2004 Associated Press
Opinion: Teens and Contraception. Anti-choice lawmakers think a teenager is not old enough to use a drug responsibly but is old enough to be a parent. The FDA's decision to prevent Plan B emergency contraception from being sold over the counter without a prescription is another example of the government putting ideology over science. May 14, 2004 Planned Parenthood
Birth Control: Easy Access Poses Risks . OP ED by Wendy Wright (this opinion piece deserves an LTE sent to USA Today). Birth control pills require a prescription as women need to be evaluated for medical conditions. Healthy women can suffer blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. Yet, some are calling for Plan B birth control pill, to be available over the counter. Research from show this isn't in women's best interests. A study in the UK shows easy access makes teens more likely to engage in sexual activity. Other research shows sexually transmitted disease rates go up. Abortion rates do not decline, but rise in some areas. Pharmacists report girls as young as 12 requesting it many times. The younger the patient, the more likely she's a victim of sexual abuse. In Thailand, the most frequent buyers are men, who slip them to women without their consent and if the woman suffers complications, neither she nor her doctor is aware of the cause. Ads for Plan B encourage multiple sex partners. Rather than address these and other serious medical concerns raised by doctors, nurses and parents, proponents brush them aside. Wendy Wright is senior policy director for Concerned Women for America. Amazing that two studies can arrive at totally opposite conclusions. April 19, 2004 USA Today
Mexican Church Attacks Pill Use. The Mexican Government has allowed the use of the morning after pill, but Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera said that when they produce an abortion, it is murder. A priest in charge of health said that, although those who took the pill would not be officially excommunicated, they would be excommunicated by their actions and compared the use of the pill to genocide. The government has defended its sanctioning of the morning-after pill, which went through with approval of the female condom. The Health Department's ex-Reproductive Health director said that in Mexico, it wasn't possible earlier to include the pill in official family planning laws because of the opposition of conservative groups who absurdly qualified it as abortive. Around 40% of Mexico's 2.1 million pregnancies a year are unplanned. January 28, 2004 BBC News
U.K.: Demand for the Morning-after Pill Remains Static. The British Government found that 7% of women used emergency contraception in 2002-03 - the same as in previous years. There has been a rise in the number of women getting the morning-after pill from chemists. In 2001, pharmacists were allowed to give the pill for the first time. 5% of women aged 16 to 49 said they had taken it once in 2002/03, 1% had used it twice and 1% had used it three or more times. The most popular source for the pill was a GP surgery, with 44% getting it from a doctor or nurse. 33% by a pharmacist compared with 20% the previous year. 42% of women blamed a condom failure and 23% had missed their normal pill. 11% said a condom had not been available, while 9% had not wanted to use a condom. The morning-after pill costs around pounds 24. Pharmacists are not allowed to sell it to girls under 16. September 18, 2003 Daily Telegraph
Emergency Contraceptive Levonorgestrel Won't Stop Postfertilization Activity. Levonorgestrel (LNG), a progestin used for regular contraception, is also used for emergency contraception (EC). One unresolved question is whether or not EC prevents pregnancy by interfering with postfertilization events. In experiments on rats it had no effect on fertilization or implantation when it was administered shortly before or after mating or before implantation. Administration of LNG at doses several-fold higher than those used for EC in women had no postfertilization effect that impairs fertility in the rat. July 25, 2003 Women's Health Weekly
Findings Indicate Women Are Using EC Correctly. A controlled trial of 370 postpartum women found that women who received an advance supply of EC postpartum were more likely to have used it during the follow-up year than did control-group women (17% in EC group vs. 4% in control group). Researchers found no evidence for less effective regular contraceptive use in women given a supply of EC. Almost all 540 women who used EC after receiving it in a simulated over-the-counter manner, used the product appropriately and safely. The incidence of improper use was extremely low (1.3%). Vulnerable groups such as minors and less-educated women were not more likely than others to use the product improperly. July 25, 2003 Women's Health Weekly
A Battle Over the Morning-After Pill. Virginia state delegate Robert Marshall learned that the James Madison university had prescribed an emergency contraceptive more than 2,000 times since 1995. This is, in Marshall's view, abortion. Mark Obenshain, a pro-life candidate, introduced a measure to stop the center from providing the pills and it passed by a 7-6 vote. Schnebel, a member of the student government, objected that a group with so much power made a decision that affects the health and safety of the students, "I couldn't imagine why they would take away something that is legal in the U.S." .. "It was the fact that a group that has so much power, our board of visitors, made a decision that directly affects the health and safety of the students, and they didn't ask us, and that's just not fair." The pill acts by delaying ovulation, preventing fertilization or inhibiting implantation. June 02, 2003 Push newsfeed
BMJ Study Examines Young Women's Reasons for Using, Not Using Emergency Contraception. Concerns about the health risks and asking for emergency contraception all contribute to young women's decisions not to use EC. 30 sexually active women ages 16 to 25, including women from inner city areas with high teenage pregnancy rates were interviewed. Those who felt that their sexual behavior was not risky and those with a sense of personal invulnerability did not use EC. Those who did were more concerned about becoming pregnant. Some women did not use EC because of perceived harmful effects or difficulty in obtaining EC. Programs geared toward increasing EC use, should aim to promote the attitudes and personal skills needed to obtain emergency contraception. December 14, 2002 British Medical Journal
U.S.: FDA to Allow 'Morning-After' Pill for 17-year-olds. Last March, a United States District Court made emergency contraception (EC) for 17-year-olds available over the counter, as it is for adult women. Russell Turk, M.D., an OB/GYN in Connecticut, made the argument to make it available to girls as young as 13. The EC pill is safer than the alternative. "Widespread availability of the morning-after pill has the potential to prevent unplanned pregnancy and abortion - both of which pose far greater risk and hardship to teen girls." The longer a woman waits to get the pill, the less effective it will be. Therefore the more hurdles we put between EC pills and the young women that need them, the more likely it is for a young teen girl to be faced with the choice of abortion or risky pregnancy. It is ironical that once a girl is pregnant, she's legally considered an ‘emancipated minor' - which means she can make medical decisions of a much more serious nature without adult supervision. And yet we can't trust her to make a decision that will keep her from getting pregnant? April 23, 2009 Yahoo News
U.S.: Take Realistic Approach Toward Contraception. America's teenage birth rate is among the highest in the developed world. So it is good news that a federal judge's order that the FDA make the Plan B morning-after birth-control pill available without a prescription to women as young as 17. The FDA must review whether to make the emergency contraceptive available without a prescription for women of all ages. Critics claim making Plan B available will promote promiscuity. Yet many teenagers have sex before they are mature enough to make such a decision. What's needed is to better educate them about how this can affect their lives so they wait until they are older. The Centers for Disease Control says it's not that U.S. teens have more sex than teens in other countries; it's that they are less likely to use contraception. In 2002, French officials allowed minors to obtain emergency contraceptives - with counseling - from a pharmacy at no cost, and without a parent's permission. March 26, 2009 Des Moines Register
U.K.;: Women to Be Able to Get Pill on Demand at Local Pharmacy. Women will be able to get the contraceptive pill from their chemist under new plans revealed by the government. They will be able to walk into the chemist's and obtain the pill after a discreet conversation with the pharmacist. It had not yet been decided whether girls under 16 would be able to get the pill without their parents being informed. The morning-after pill is already available to women including under-age girls from a pharmacist, if he or she is satisfied that they are competent to make the decision to take it and are in good health. Any woman getting the pill would involve a questionnaire about her health and other medication she might be taking. It could also mean that the pharmacist would take her blood pressure. Pharmacists will be given extra training. The move towards pharmacy availability is intended to make life easier for women. Pharmacies could play an increased role in the provision of contraception and other sexual health services because of their accessibility and convenient opening hours. For the change to come about, strategic health authorities must issue instructions called patient group directions, permitting pharmacists to prescribe specific medicines to specific groups of people. Not only the morning-after pill but also cholesterol-lowering statins are available from pharmacists, who carry out checks to ensure the drugs are suitable for those who request them. The Department of Health wants to increase the range of medicines available this way. December 13, 2007 Guardian (London)
US Wisconsin;: Rape Victims Advocate Requiring Morning-after Pill at Hospitals. Rape victims testified in support of a bill that would require Wisconsin hospitals to provide Plan B. Opponents likened taking the pill to having an abortion but supporters argued that it only stops a pregnancy from occurring. The bill is needed because a majority of hospitals do not offer the pill to rape victims. About a third of the state's hospitals are affiliated with the Catholic Church and those hospitals give rape victims emergency contraception if a test shows no pregnancy has already occurred. The Catholic Conference will not oppose the bill as long as it allows hospitals not to administer the pill to women who tests show they are pregnant, but the bill does not define when pregnancy begins. Any action that destroys a fertilized egg is akin to an abortion, said Pro-Life Wisconsin. And because it is difficult to determine whether fertilization has occurred when the drug is given, the potential for causing an abortion exists. The committee took no action on the proposal, which has been pushed unsuccessfully three times in recent years. California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina and Washington have laws requiring hospitals to either dispense the drug or information about how to get it. April 26, 2007 Associated Press
US Oregon;: After 14 Years, Time Could Be Now for Contraception Bill. Bills that would require private insurers to cover the costs of prescription birth control have been around the Oregan Capitol since 1993, only to die quietly. But 14 years on, it looks like the proposal has some real traction. Twenty-six other states have moved to establish such coverage. Oregon opponents have included the influential Catholic lobby, and private health insurers, who tend to bristle at any talk of government mandates. Supporters were encouraged that both parties signed off on a bill mandating that insurers fully cover mental health treatments, suggesting that they're open to some government-imposed requirements on private insurers. It is much cheaper to cover the cost of the prescription birth control than the cost of labor and delivery for an unplanned pregnancy. Nationally, figures from a reproductive rights organization show that about 50% of traditional fee-for-service health plans offer no coverage for contraceptives. HMOs offer more complete coverage, while newer types of managed care plans offer a bit less coverage. Offering coverage of the most-used contraceptive methods would cost an average of $1.43 per month per employee. The bill requires that Oregon hospitals must inform victims of sexual assault about emergency contraception, and dispense the pill if women ask for it. In 2003, Oregon lawmakers established a fund, fed by private donations, to pay for emergency contraception for sexual assault victims but not every hospital is making use of the funding. The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems are evaluating the mandate to offer emergency contraception. Most of the state's largest hospitals have been regularly reimbursed from the fund for emergency contraceptive costs for sexual assault victims. Smaller hospitals have not sought reimbursements over the last two years. Missing from the proposed legislation is any clause that would allow hospitals or doctors to opt out of providing emergency contraception. Although 18 states allow employers and insurers to refuse to cover birth control, the Oregon proposal contains no such language. There's no Oregon law requiring pharmacists who have moral or ethical obligations to the morning-after pill to dispense it. But it does require pharmacies to ensure that patients can get their pills. February 25, 2007 Associated Press
Dann to Continue Abortion Pill Fight. Ohio Attorney General Dann will defend a state law restricting the use of the pill that induces abortion. He believes a federal judge was wrong to declare the law vague and unconstitutional. Dann said he may disagree with the law, but will pursue the appeal based on his belief it is not vague and therefore is constitutional. The announcement means the legal fight over the law will continue. Gov Strickland filed a brief with the 6th Circuit last week stating he did not want to overturn the lower court's finding that the law was unconstitutional February 21, 2007 Cincinnati Enquirer
UK Over-the-counter Pill Plan Debate. Drug regulators in the UK are considering making the pill available over-the-counter without a doctor's prescription. Sexual health tests and medicines for controlling heavy periods will also be considered. Moves have been made to widen access to some common drugs and health tests through pharmacists. EC was made available over-the-counter six years ago and Boots has been piloting chlamydia testing. There would still need to be a consultation so it would be some time before changes were brought in. Giving pharmacists more control over prescribing are being hampered because of the red-tape involved, the MHRA said. February 06, 2007 BBC News
For Plan B, a Broader Reach; 'Morning After' Pill Goes on Sale OTC. The over-the-counter version of Plan B began appearing in drugstores nationwide last week. Plan B is a backup birth control method that consists of two high-dose pills of the hormone progestin. The medication reduces the risk of pregnancy by 89% if taken as directed, by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary and it may also prevent the union of sperm and egg. Plan B "may prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb," but will not work if the egg is implanted before the drug is taken. Women should take one tablet within 72 hours of unprotected sex, followed by the second pill 12 hours later, but some studies show that it may be more effective to take both pills at the same time possibly because you're less likely to forget. Plan B is recommended for any woman of childbearing age who has unprotected sex and wants a backup method of contraception. Plan B is not meant to be a substitute for primary birth control methods and does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. The drug's shelf life is about four years. Barr sells Plan B to pharmacy chains, distributors, wholesalers and clinics for $27.95. Wal-Mart sells it for about $35; CVS for $44.99. It's not yet known whether insurance companies will pay. Some women will experience "non-serious" side effects, which are similar to those associated with regular birth control pills. There is no limit to how often a woman can safely use the medication. Pharmacists may refuse to dispense OTC sales of the drug. Wal-Mart, for example, says it will continue its "conscientious objection policy" except in states where it would be prohibited by law. The policy permits any pharmacy employee "who does not feel comfortable dispensing the product to refer customers to another pharmacist. Girls younger than 18 need a doctor's prescription but anyone 18 or older can buy the OTC product. You may need to show identification to to verify your age. Store personnel won't keep a record of your personal information. Plan B is not effective if a woman is already pregnant, whereas RU-486, available only by prescription, is intended to induce abortion. November 21, 2006 Washington Post
Chile Court Suspends Day-after Pill to Minors. A Chilean court temporarily suspended the move to provide emergency contraceptive pills to minors without parental consent, but the government will appeal the decision. In a split decision the appellate court temporarily blocked the move until a suit filed by a mayor and a group of lawyers against Health Minister is resolved. We are against the distribution without the knowledge of the parents said one of the lawyers involved. The initiative has polarized opinions in Chile, has been strongly supported by President Michelle Bachelet and opposed by the Catholic church. The government has said the measure is intended to extend health care access to less wealthy sectors and will appeal to defend this policy. September 18, 2006 Reuters Alert Net
Bush Supports Limits on Morning-After Pill. President Bush supports restricting access to emergency contraception for minors. He backed von Eschenbach, who as acting FDA commissioner, has supported nonprescription emergency contraception sales for adults. Von Eschenbach's nomination to the permanent job of commissioner has been held up by Democrats who assert that the decision on Plan B has been delayed for political reasons. Von Eschenbach said Plan B could be used safely and effectively for women 18 and older as long as younger people could not buy it without a doctor's note. Supporters say easing access will lead to fewer abortions, while opponents argue it will spur promiscuity. Von Eschenbach and two previous commissioners said they were not directed by the White House on the issue. But other conservative groups which normally support Bush are opposing the nomination because von Eschenbach is moving forward on Plan B, as well as allowing the abortion pill RU-486 to remain on the market. August 21, 2006 Reuters
US Colorado;: Planned Parenthood to Give Away Plan B Pills in Protest of Veto. To protest Gov. Owens veto blocking pharmacists from prescribing a "morning after" contraceptive, Planned Parenthood plans to give the drug away Friday free to any woman who asks at clinics across the state. Opponents of emergency contraception say the drug might prevent a fertilized egg from being implanted which they believe would be tantamount to having an abortion. Under Colorado law, pregnancy begins once a fertilized egg has been implanted, but the drug has no effect on an implanted fertilized egg. Owens said spreading prescription power beyond doctors and nurses "strays from the accepted norms of medicine." Owens last year vetoed a law requiring hospitals to tell sexual assault victims about the availability of emergency contraception. The contraceptive, called Plan B, is not the abortion drug RU-486. After the previous veto, Planned Parenthood distributed 1,186 Plan B pills free at 24 clinics across the state. The agency expects to give away 1,500 this year. Critics say Planned Parenthood's distribution, especially to minors, could be dangerous. June 27, 2006 Associated Press
US Urged to Allow Wider EC. The Lancet, a leading international medical journal has called on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to dismiss political pressure and allow emergency contraception (EC) to be sold without a prescription. The acting FDA Commissioner, Andrew von Eschenbach, must make an independent decision on Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc's bid to sell its Plan B, EC-over-the-counter. Editors at the Lancet said von Eschenbach's failure to act indicates he may not be independent enough to run the FDA. The agency is stalling, apparently to avoid offending antiabortion supporters of President Bush, who claim that the contraceptive is an abortifacient. EC has been available with a doctor's prescription since 1999, but a growing number of pharmacists in have refused to fill the orders. Former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford ruled the drug was safe and effective over-the-counter. He resigned a month later. Supporters have said easier access is key for women to get the pills and would help reduce the number of abortions. May 19, 2006 Push Journal
US Connecticut: Plan B Proviso Added to Budget; Requirement Links Hospital Energy Aid with Availability of Emergency Contraceptives. Democrats slipped a measure that would require all hospitals to provide emergency contraceptives to rape victims into a state budget approved by a key committee. A similar measure appeared to die when a public health committee, did not vote on the bill by the committee's deadline. The Catholic Church opposed the requirement, arguing that in some cases contraceptives can prevent implantation of a fertilized embryo, thus making them tantamount to abortion. Catholic hospitals will give a rape victim the high-dose birth control pills if tests confirm that she is not pregnant or ovulating. If they cannot provide the pills, they agreed to provide a written prescription or transport the victim to another hospital willing to dispense the pills. The original bill made no reference to the state's four Catholic hospitals. It required that every hospital in the state make emergency contraceptives available to rape victims. In the budget, hospitals would have to provide Plan B if they wish to share in $5 million set aside to help hospitals cover spiraling energy costs. The General Assembly's appropriations committee approved the state budget that now goes to the full legislature for final passage. Republicans were outraged. The ranking House Republican on the committee, said Republicans had not seen the provision. But a veteran House Republican who is known for closely reading the bills, discovered the section. In a statement on behalf of the Catholic hospitals, the general counsel to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, said he had not seen the budget language and therefore could not comment on it. A Westport Republican who serves on the budget committee, said that the measure should not have been included in the budget because it had died in another committee. The appropriations co-chairwoman, said that she was looking for uniformity among all Connecticut hospitals so that those that receive state funds follow all state laws. The committee's other co-chairwoman, said that the state energy money is available to all hospitals, as long as they conform to state regulations. The executive director of Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, was unaware that the emergency contraception requirement had been resurrected, but she expressed gratitude. March 31, 2006 Hartford Courant
U.S.: Massachusetts Wal-mart Must Stock Emergency Pill. The Massachusetts pharmacy board ordered Wal-Mart to stock emergency contraception pills at its stores in Massachusetts, becoming the second state to require them to carry the pill. Wal-Mart now carries the pill only in Illinois, where it is required to do so under state law. The company has said it "chooses not to carry many products for business reasons." The decision after three women sued the Arkansas-based Wal-Mart for failing to carry the drug in its Massachusetts stores, arguing that state policy requires pharmacies to provide all "commonly prescribed medicines." A lawyer for the three women praised the board's decision and said he was prepared to sue in other states should Wal-Mart not overturn its policy. Abortion rights groups and women's organizations have urged Wal-Mart to change its policy. March 25, 2006 Associated Press
US Connecticut: States Waver Over Emergency Contraception. Connecticut lawmakers decided not to to require hospitals to give rape victims access to the drug Plan B. Similar bills are pending in seven other states. Some Connecticut hospitals give it, some don't. Many Catholics in this Catholic state believe that emergency contraception can cause an early abortion. The state's four Catholic hospitals' policy is to test rape victims to see if they might be near ovulation at the time of the rape. If so, the hospitals won't provide emergency contraception, but they will tell the victim where to get it. A young woman from Milford who'd been raped told how a gang of young thugs forced her into her car trunk, drove her to the woods and raped her and left her for dead. At the hospital, a nurse offered her emergency contraception and she took it. She told the lawmakers how grateful she was to have gotten it. A number of Catholic parishioners came up to testify against the bill. They spoke about religious freedom and about abortion. One of them, Mary Pollock said she felt for the young woman who'd been raped. It dawned on the young woman as she listened to Mary Pollock and the others, they were saying if she'd gotten pregnant from the rape, she should've had the baby. The Catholic hospitals say they have right to exercise its religion as it believes is appropriate and in the end, that argument won out. Karen Gaia says: People who are in an emergency situation don't have the luxury of shopping around for a hospital. Hospitals providing emergency services have a duty to provide all medical services. March 23, 2006 NPR
US New Hampshire: Parental Consent Requirement Rejected for Emergency Contraception. Young women in New Hampshire will not need their parents' permission before getting emergency contraception. The bill also would have allowed pharmacists to opt out from filling prescriptions for the medicine. That angered Sen. Estabrook, who noted pharmacists cannot opt out when it comes to filling prescriptions for any other kind of medicine. Supporters argued parents have a right to be involved when their children use such medication. Much of the opposition grows out of concern that the medicine is a form of abortion. The House has a separate bill requiring parental notice not consent when a pharmacist dispenses the morning-after pill. The House already has voted down a separate proposal to protect pharmacists who don't want to dispense the medicine. See www.population-awareness.net/abortion.html March 16, 2006 Associated Press
U.S.: Emergency Contraception Issue Complicates FDA Nominee's Future. President Bush has nominated Andrew von Eschenbach to head the FDA. He is technically head of the National Cancer Institute and has been leading the FDA on an acting basis since last fall. But his promotion is not assured. The science is becoming so complex, and increasingly important that science be integrated into drug approvals. But after three years, the FDA hasn't ruled on the Plan B pill and until there is a decision, there won't be a new FDA commissioner. Hillary Clinton blocked Senate confirmation of then Deputy FDA Commissioner Crawford for several months and brokered a compromise with Health and Human Services Secretary or so they thought. Sen. Murray said that we were told by Secretary Leavitt that a decision was going to be made. Instead, Crawford announced another delay. The action led to the resignation of the FDA's top woman's health official, who said the decision was motivated by politics. Some abortion opponents say Plan B can work as a very early abortion. Crawford announced his resignation a few weeks later under circumstances that still haven't been explained. But von Eschenbach has the power to make good on the original deal. Even if von Eschenbach's nomination is blocked indefinitely, it will be mostly status quo for the FDA under President Bush. In the five years he's been in office, the agency has had a Senate-confirmed commissioner for only 18 months. March 16, 2006 NPR
Connecticut Bishops Pursuing Stricter Interpretation of Abortion. Two of the most powerful Catholic leaders in Connecticut decided that the state's four Catholic hospitals should take a more conservative stance when treating rape victims. That decision is fueling a debate over proposed legislation that would require all hospitals to provide emergency contraception to women who've been raped. Hartford Archbishop Henry J. Mansell and Bridgeport Bishop William E. Lori wanted the four hospitals to follow the same protocol and turned to Catholic ethicists for help. They recommended what is known as the Peoria Protocol, that came up with a procedure that requires doctors to determine through tests whether a woman has ovulated before giving her emergency contraception, and if she hasn't ovulated, they can prescribe the drug. If she has, nothing can be done and prescribing the drug would interfere with any pregnancy. According to Catholic teachings, life begins when the egg is fertilized. Since January, the Catholic hospitals, if they can't prescribe Plan B, provide the rape victim with a list of places where she can receive it, and transportation if necessary. Mansell and Lori will oppose any bill that would require Catholic hospitals to administer the pill if a woman is ovulating or an egg has been fertilized. But proponents of the bill argue the Hartford archbishop is being unreasonable as bishops in other states agreed to fewer restrictions on prescribing the pill. Connecticut is part of a growing number of states that have legislation requiring hospitals to dispense Plan B or provide information about the emergency contraception to rape victims. Catholic hospitals are not exempted from those laws, yet the laws in New Jersey and New York include provisions to appease the church that prevent the pill from being given if a woman is already pregnant. Similar bills are pending this session in 12 states, including Connecticut. Merger Watch Project, that opposes religious-based restrictions on patients rights and health care, said such laws have been sought over the past 10 years because women's health professionals and activists believe rape victims are being subjected to "a kind of Russian roulette health care" when they go a hospital. We believe that rape victims deserve compassionate and competent medical care. March 13, 2006 Associated Press
Plan B Battle Shifts to States: FDA's Inaction on 'Morning-after' Pill Boosts Momentum. The battles in state capitals over sales of the "morning-after" birth control pill are the result of the FDA's inaction for more than five years on requests to let women buy the pills without a prescription. If activists are successful, a teen who has unprotected sex on Friday night could go to a pharmacy on Saturday morning and buy two pills which, if she takes within 72 hours, she would have an 89% chance of not becoming pregnant. Opponents say use of the pill by teenage girls could lead to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases by encouraging unprotected sex. Under a proposed Maryland law, pharmacists who receive special training may dispense the pills but does not require all pharmacists to furnish them. Legislation in other states would allow pharmacists to provide Plan B directly under an agreement with a doctor giving the pharmacist blanket permission to sell the drug or require emergency rooms to provide it to rape victims. Abortion-rights groups have been lobbying to increase access to the pill since 2000, and 16 states have passed laws that do so in some form. The FDA's inaction gave this year's legislative battles new momentum. While some activists argue that the pill will reduce abortions, others assert that it causes an abortion. Abortion opponents are proposing measures that would permit pharmacists to refuse to fill a prescription because it violates their beliefs. A poll in 2004 found that 64% of women surveyed knew there was something they could do to prevent pregnancy after sex. Prescriptions have doubled over the past two years to more than 1.2 million. February 24, 2006 Baltimore Sun
Connecticut Wants Plan B in Wal-Marts. State Comptroller Nancy Wyman has asked Wal-Mart to stock emergency contraception pills in its 20 Connecticut pharmacies. Massachusetts ruled this week that Wal-Marts there must stock the "morning after pill." Illinois Wal-Marts also carry emergency contraception because state law requires it, but Wal-Marts in other states do not. Wal-Mart spokesman said the company is reviewing its national policy on emergency contraception. The Massachusetts pharmacy board made its decision two weeks after three women sued the Bentonville, Ark.-based retail giant for failing to carry the drug in its Massachusetts stores. February 17, 2006 AP World News
U.S.: Bipartisan Lawmakers Grill FDA on Generics, Plan B; Eschenbach Offers No Timelines. Democrats and Republicans on the House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee demanded answers from the FDA, but acting FDA Commissioner declined to set deadlines for addressing the concerns. Democrats repeated criticisms of the agency on Plan B, that it has delayed OTC approval for political reasons. The commissioner denied politics played a role in the decision, but cited the large number of public comments along with the complexity of the issue. The FDA chief would not give a deadline for a decision on Plan B due to the large number of public comments under review. The FDA said the application lacked scientific data on the product's OTC use among adolescents younger than 16, and also rejected the advice of an FDA advisory panel that recommended OTC use. February 17, 2006 Drug Industry Daily
U.S.: Bill Targets Plan B Access. Touching on the sensitive question of when life begins, Maryland legislators are looking at a bill sponsored by Sen. Sharon M. Grosfeld, that would give pharmacists the ability to provide women with Plan B. Supporters say the legislation would prevent unintended pregnancies by allowing women to get the pill when it is most effective - within hours after sexual intercourse. But opponents say this is essentially an abortion. Some conservatives are adamant that doctors should control access to the pill and in the case of minors only with parental consent. The bill states that licensed pharmacists and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene would develop a protocol. Pharmacists who want to opt into the program would be required to complete a training program and pay certain fees. The FDA has blocked attempts to make the pill available over the counter, citing questions about its safety. See www.population-awareness.net/abortion.html February 16, 2006 The Baltimore Sun
US Missouri: Fired Pharmacist Testifies for Bill Allowing Refusal to Fill Plan B. Heather Williams, who has filed a federal complaint against Target Corp., told the Senate Judiciary Committee that pharmacists should have the same right as doctors and nurses to refuse to help with procedures they believe help end life. Plan B is designed to give a super dose of standard oral birth control taken 72 hours after unprotected sex. It can prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg and also prevent a fertilized egg from becoming attached to the uterus. Williams said that her employers had no problem with the fact that she would refuse to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception or refer women to pharmacies that would fill the prescription. Legislation by Sen. Crowell would allow pharmacists to refuse to fill a prescription "that is contrary to a good faith belief". It would bar employers from disciplining pharmacists who refuse to fill prescriptions for that reason. Sen. Wheeler, a doctor, said he believed health care providers needed to separate their personal beliefs from their work. I think from Monday through Saturday, we need to work in a secular world. Under the bill, pharmacists would not be guaranteed the right to opt out of filling prescriptions for drugs they believe might lead to an abortion if the pharmacy can prove such a refusal could not be accommodated "without undue hardship." Crowell said the courts would decide what constituted an undue hardship and advances in medicine and technology have made it easier to end pregnancies, requiring new protections for health care providers who have objections to abortion. Rachel Pourchot, said she was unable to get her prescription for Plan B filled because a pharmacist objected. The committee did not vote on the proposal. There is some doubt that Plan B would prevent a fertilized egg from becoming attached to the uterus February 14, 2006 Associated Press
US Colorado: Pharmacists Could Prescribe ER Contraception Under Democratic Proposal. A bill introduced by Democratic state lawmakers would allow pharmacists to prescribe emergency contraception that can prevent a woman from getting pregnant if taken within 120 hours after sex. Pharmacists would not be required to prescribe it if they don't want to. Last year such a bill passed the Legislature but Republican Gov. Bill Owens vetoed it. The goal is to provide a safe, cost effective method to all women to have access to emergency contraception. Opponents say the drug might prevent a fertilized egg from being implanted in a woman's uterus, which would be abortion. Under Colorado law, pregnancy begins once a fertilized egg has been implanted and the drug has no effect on a fertilized egg that has already been implanted. Since 2003, the FDA has been considering whether to make emergency contraception available over-the-counter. States have taken different approaches. Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine and New Mexico have made the drug available without a prescription. Four other states Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and South Dakota have passed laws allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception. February 08, 2006 Associated Press
U.S.: Target Pharmacist Fired for Refusing to Give Morning-after Pill. Heather Williams had worked at a Target store in St. Charles for five years before being fired. Until recently, the company accommodated her objection to dispensing the morning-after pill. Planned Parenthood has tried to work with Target to ensure that women seeking emergency contraception can get it from their pharmacies. Twice early in her career at Target, Williams refused to dispense morning-after pills but has not been asked to do so in recent years. But if asked, Williams would have declined, and would also refused to refer the patient to another pharmacist. Planned Parenthood has no problem with a pharmacist's refusal to dispense the morning-after pill, but, we have a growing movement of pharmacists who don't want to dispense, refuse to give back the prescription and refuse to tell the patient where they can get the prescription filled. Walgreen Co. has suspended five Illinois pharmacists for refusing to fill prescriptions in violation of a state rule. The four cited religious or moral objections. Abortion opponents are seeking a measure to prohibit pharmacies from disciplining pharmacists who refuse to provide the pill. Meanwhile, abortion rights supporters want to require pharmacies to supply the contraception. At least three bills have been introduced that would let pharmacists refuse to fill prescriptions based on their beliefs. January 27, 2006 Associated Press
Massachusetts Governor Scraps Emergency Contraception Exception for Catholic Hospitals. Mitt Romney abandoned plans to exempt Roman Catholic and private hospitals from a law requiring them to dispense emergency contraception to rape victims. Romney had initially backed regulations that conflicted with an older law barring the state from forcing private hospitals to dispense contraceptive devices or information. The governor said lawyers determined that the new law superseded the old law and that all hospitals should be required to offer the so-called "morning-after pill. The new law takes states that the pill must be available to "each female rape victim." The emergency pill is a high dose of hormones that women can take up to five days after sex to prevent pregnancy. Opponents who believe life begins at conception contend the pill is little different from an abortion. Caritas Christi Health Care, which is owned by the Catholic Church said it provides emergency contraception to female patients, but only those who are not pregnant. Critics said the regulations were an attempt by the Romney administration to cater to conservative primary voters. Seven other states require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims, and none include exemptions for religious and moral reasons. Three Illinois pharmacists were dismissed from their jobs after refusing to fill prescriptions for the pill. December 08, 2005 Associated Press
Chile's Supreme Court Rules Sale of Emergency Contraception Constitutional. Chile's Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision that none of the country's laws bar the sale of Schering's emergency contraceptive Postinor 2. Antiabortion groups charge that EC is similar to abortion, which is illegal in Chile. The Institute of Public Health in 2001 approved the distribution of the German brand of emergency contraception. The Chilean Ministry of Health upheld the institute's decision despite a Supreme Court ruling that banned a different company from dispensing the pills. Health Undersecretary said that the ministry would maintain the debate if antiabortion nongovernmental organizations continued to pursue legal action to block EC distribution in Chile. The Chilean government distributes EC at no cost to women who have been raped. November 30, 2005
Chile Authorizes Sale of EC; EC is Available with a Prescription. Chile's Supreme Court has voted to authorize the sale of Emergency Contraception (EC) which upheld a decision by the Santiago Court of Appeals, which had turned down a request by a conservative group to ban EC, which it considers abortion. The Catholic Church has opposed the use of the pill, but the government has ordered its distribution free to women who had been the victims of rape. EC can be sold at drug stores, but a doctor's prescription is required. The effectiveness of EC decreases with a delay in taking it and supporters say the need for a prescription reduces the effectiveness. November 29, 2005 Push Journal
US Massachusetts: Plan B Politics. The proposal to approve over-the-counter sales of Plan B had the support of the FDA and outside scientific advisers, but was blocked by the administration. The Government Accountability Office reported it investigated at the behest of members of Congress into the circumstances of the decision and found there were "unusual" practices in the rejection of the proposal by the FDA, including the refusal of three FDA officials to sign off on the decision, because they disagreed with it, and the involvement in the decision-making process of high-level FDA officials. The report said there were conflicting accounts of whether agency officials had heard from higher-ups that a "No" decision had been made on the case months before the review was completed. The destruction of e-mails and written communications made it impossible to resolve all the questions, but evidence is strong enough to justify the accusation that the decision was politically motivated. The report is likely to buttress the suit filed against the FDA by the Center for Reproductive Rights that calls on the agency to approve nonprescription sales of Plan B. The FDA based its rejection on concern that younger adolescents might be encouraged by Plan B's availability to engage in unsafe safe. Plan B's maker then proposed to sell it over the counter to females 16 and older. The FDA needs enough independence from political pressure to make its decisions based on science. November 20, 2005 Boston Globe
U.S.: Strange Behavior at the F.D.A.. Congressional investigators have documented maneuvering behind the FDA decision to reject over-the-counter sales of the morning-after contraceptive. The investigation, by the Government Accountability Office, stopped short of asserting that political considerations had led officials to overrule their own experts and advisers. But the most plausible inference is that politics or ideology was allowed to trump science as higher-ups searched for rationales to keep access to the contraceptive restricted. The investigators did not consider communications with other parts of the executive branch, so they had no way to determine whether political pressure was exerted. But they did find four unusual aspects. First, directors that would normally handle the issue disagreed and did not sign the rejection letter. Second, high-level managers intervened more than in any other case involving a switch from prescription to nonprescription status. Third, the heads of several key offices said they had been told that the switch would be denied months before their reviews of the application. Fourth, the rationale used to justify the rejection was that younger adolescents might engage in unsafe sexual behavior with Plan B available. It seems clear that those running the agency were looking for any reason to prevent easy access to the contraceptive. In doing so, they tarnished the reputation of an agency whose decisions are supposed to be based on science. November 15, 2005 New York Times*
US Pennsylvania: Morning-After Relief; Making Emergency Contraception Easier. Unfortunately, in too many cases of rape, the availability of emergency contraception depends on luck, or personal religious beliefs of hospital personnel. The Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act, would require hospitals and clinics to provide information about emergency contraception and offer it to rape victims. Estimates are that 4.7% of women who are raped get pregnant, about 25,000 women a year, or 830 per year in Pennsylvania. 733 pregnancies a year in this state could be prevented if emergency contraception were offered to all victims. The "morning- after pill," taken within 120 hours of intercourse, prevents fertilization or implantation in a woman's womb. It is not the abortion pill, but politicians who want to impose their religious beliefs on everyone have tried to block availability of the drug over the counter and even to rape victims. November 03, 2005 Philadelphia Daily News
US Illinois: Emergency Contraception Rule on Way to Becoming Permanent. A temporary rule that requires Illinois pharmacies to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception is on its way to becoming permanent. Lawmakers did not object to the rule becoming permanent, but the rule must be filed with Secretary of State before it's official. The rule requires pharmacies in the state that sell contraceptives approved by the US FDA, to fill prescriptions for emergency birth control. Pharmacies that do not fill prescriptions for any type of contraception are not required to follow the rule. Women can feel confident that when they have a signed prescription from their doctor for birth control and go to a pharmacy that sells birth control, they'll get their medication quickly. If the contraceptive is not in stock, the pharmacy must provide an alternative, order the drug, transfer the prescription to another local pharmacy or return the prescription to the patient. Six pharmacists have sued for ordering them to fill such prescriptions because they say it violates their religious beliefs. The state law was written so people with moral or religious convictions should not be forced to violate them. Some states demand that pharmacists fill all valid prescriptions, while others allow druggists to refuse to provide medicines based on moral objections. There are many who believe that the morning-after pill is an act of abortion. But Rep. Rosemary Mulligan said she agreed with the rule. August 16, 2005 Associated Press
US New York: Opinion: Contraception Should Not Be a Political Decision. Gov. Pataki vetoed an act to allow emergency contraception in pharmacies without a prescription. The bill, Pataki says, fails to include protections for minors. The minor who seeks emergency contraception has had unprotected sex, so the risk is not the use of a safe medication, it is the risk of an unwanted pregnancy. Emergency contraception is available to minors in New York, with a doctor's prescription. This legislation would have allowed a trained pharmacist or nurse to provide emergency contraception, thereby increasing the chance that the medication would be taken when it most effective. Broader access to emergency contraception is a goal endorsed by many health care organizations. Regardless of the governor's action Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood will continue to provide emergency contraception to all patients who need it. August 09, 2005 Times Union
US New York: Pataki Defends Veto of Bill Easing Contraception Access. A bill to allow women greater access to emergency contraception was vetoed by Gov. George E. Pataki, who critics say turned against his pro-choice roots to appeal to conservative Republicans as he ponders a 2008 White House run. Pataki said he would still back a bill expanding the availability of morning-after pills if it has safeguards such as restricting teen girls access to the drugs. He said his veto is to protect the health and safety of our youngest women. Emergency contraception is available in New York through physicians or in clinics. Under a 2003 law hospital emergency rooms must have the drug on hand for rape victims. The proposal would let physicians provide prescriptions to pharmacists and nurses to dispense emergency contraception without women getting their own prescription. The drugs are most effective within the first 24 hours of unprotected sex, and availability would cut down on abortions. Critics insist the measure would encourage teenage girls to have more unprotected sex, while religious groups say it could be a form of abortion. In his veto message, the governor supports the pill's greater availability, but cited problems with the legislation, passed this spring following its backing in the State Senate. Pataki said to let women obtain emergency contraception without a prescription is a departure from the accepted standards governing how prescription drugs are dispensed. Pataki said physicians need to be willing to see patients referred by the pharmacist if there are any questions or concerns" from women. The governor centered his criticism on the provision letting the pills be readily available to teenage girls. Pataki said women obtaining the bill should also receive counseling regarding the risks of engaging in unprotected sex. August 05, 2005 Buffalo News
Plan B a Hard Pill to Swallow; Druggists Await Edict on Contraceptive . The drug's manufacturer, Barr Laboratories in Plainsboro, has asked the FDA to allow stores to sell Plan B, the "morning-after pill," to anyone over 16. Those younger would need a doctor's prescription. New Jersey law allows pharmacist with moral reservations about the pill to refuse to sell it over the counter. Major chain pharmacies Walgreens and CVS will wait until the FDA ruling before deciding whether to sell the pills over the counter. Some believe putting emergency contraceptive on the shelves for minors sends the wrong message. There should be counseling and a parent should be involved. Putting this pill on the shelves doesn't teach them the consequences of unprotected sex. A second debate centered on whether it terminates an existing pregnancy or prevents an unwanted one. A survey of 519 youth ages 15-17 found that 43% thought the pill ended a pregnancy, while 52% said it prevented one, 5% didn't know. It prevents a pregnancy by making the uterine wall uninhabitable for a fertilized egg; it doesn't create an abortion. Abortion opponents say there's more to it than that. Some are concerned that young people will use the pill as birth control. August 04, 2005 Herald News
Mexican Health Secretary Closes Debate Surrounding Morning-After Pill; Frenk Says Pill 'Case Closed'. Mexican Health Secretary Julio Frenk confirmed that the morning after pill would not be excluded from government health clinics. Frenk said the pill was not an issue that needed to be discussed further bacause this case is now closed. "However, we have held talks with groups who were concerned in order to allay any doubts they might have had." Frenk said an explaination of the scientific makeup of the contraceptive and a demonstration that that the pill is not a form of abortion will soon be given to his cabinet colleagues. Last week, Cardinal Norberto Rivera had described the time that Fox had had in reviewing the inclusion of the pill as "lamentable." Women's rights activists have applauded the government's decision. The medication should be available within about four months. A backlash by antiabortion activists and Catholic groups had placed the pill in controversy in recent weeks. July 26, 2005 El Universal
US New Hampshire: Pharmacists Split on Emergency Contraception Law. N.H. Gov. signed a bill allowing emergency contraception to be dispensed without a prescription, but some New Hampshire pharmacists are divided on whether they will participate. Emergency contraception contains a high dose of hormone that can prevent pregnancy when taken within a period after unprotected sex or when other birth control methods fail. It has an 89% effectiveness. According to the law, druggists who plan to supply the pill must take a training course administered by the state pharmacy board. Officials are working out the details. New Hampshire is the seventh state to allow women to obtain the morning-after pill without a prescription. June 27, 2005 Associated Press
U.S.: Undoing the Politics of the Morning-after Pill. The NY State Senate passed a bill allowing pharmacists and nurses to dispense morning-after pills without prescriptions. Similar bills have passed in the State Assembly. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno only allowed the bill to be voted on and made an impassioned speech on its behalf. Selling emergency contraception should never have been controversial in a society that claims to want to reduce the number of abortions - it's common sense to make emergency contraception readily available. The medication is most effective when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. The pills themselves have been proven to be safe and effective. The bill was sponsored by a pro-choice Republican from Westchester County, who previously sponsored a bill requiring hospital emergency rooms to provide emergency contraception to rape victims. In the end the bill, got 24 votes from Democrats and 10 from Republicans. Politics has often trumped common sense, and even science, contraception and abortion rights. According to data, as much as 43% of the decline in abortions from 1994 to 2000 was because of women using the morning-after pill. In New York it took a threat to a Senate seat to get this bill passed. And if Gov. George Pataki has any sense, he will sign it. It's sound policy and was as much about crass politics as it was about the substance of the bill. June 27, 2005 Newsday (New York)
US Wisconsin: GOP Follows Ideology Down Dumb Road on Contraception. Unbelievably, the Republican majority of the Wisconsin State Assembly passed a bill specifically aimed at the so-called "morning-after" pill. The attorney general advised the bill is unconstitutional because it discriminates against women students by denying them access to health care. As opponents of birth control are fond of pointing out, every form of contraception can occasionally fail. In fact, protection conservatives love the most failed the most, abstinence. The scariest part is that sexual partners who count on it are less likely to have other forms of contraception available. The morning-after pill offers anyone who has had unprotected sex a second chance to act responsibly. It recognizes the reality that sex can break out between two people without advance planning, some of the most memorable experiences are the most spontaneous and abortion opponents should embrace it. Anti-abortion activists often claim that contraceptive drugs are another form of murder because they cause spontaneous abortions. The morning-after pill works by preventing ovulation so that conception never takes place. If the antis really believed their own arguments, they would rejoice over this technological break-through. The morning-after pill prevents conception, making abortion obsolete. But many object to sex, especially among college students. Rep. Leah Vukmir said that providing birth control encouraged women to be irresponsible and this is about promoting bad choices and shouldn't be a taxpayer-funded vehicle. But the political debate made it clear these people consider anyone a young woman would choose to have sex with a bad choice. Throughout civilized history, conservative elders have attempted to prevent the young from finding out about sex. Despite all efforts, young people everywhere keep finding out about sex and nearly every one likes it. This may be a difficult concept for opponents to grasp, but most college students understand that sexuality itself is morally neutral. Morality gets involved when attempts to forcefully gratify sexual desires or to dishonestly abuse the emotions of another for sexual gain. Of course, some people have a sincere religious belief that it is immoral to have sex outside of marriage and they should refrain. However, in a democracy, they are not permitted to pass laws forcing everyone else to follow their beliefs. No state taxes are going to prevent unwanted pregnancies among college students. Health services are funded by student fees. What we need in Wisconsin is emergency contraception to protect us from the consequences of legislative acts of sexual ignorance. June 25, 2005 The Capital Times (U.S. Wisconsin)
Bill Would Require Hospitals to Offer Rape Victims Emergency Contraception. Three U.S. senators introduced a bill that would require hospitals to offer rape victims information and access to emergency contraception. Several lawmakers, medical groups and victim's advocates were outraged when the Justice Department did not include emergency contraception options in its guidelines for treating rape victims last year. Justice Department officials have said the matter would be reviewed but have no guarantees on including such guidelines. The availability of emergency contraceptives to rape victims varies nationwide. Some states allowing health care workers and facilities the right to refuse to perform any service they object to on moral or religious grounds. This legislation will help sexual assault survivors across the country, the last thing rape victims need to worry about is the quality of medical care they will receive. An estimated 300,000 women are the victims of sexual assault each year. June 15, 2005 Associated Press
US Nevada: Conservative Groups Blocked Nevada Birth Control Amendment. A provision that would have forced pharmacists to fill birth control prescriptions was cut out of a bill in the Nevada Legislature. Anti-abortion advocates say the measure would have required pharmacists to act against their religious beliefs. Under the rejected provision, a pharmacist who refused to fill a doctor's prescription twice could have been disciplined by the state Board of Pharmacy. Abortion rights advocates argue pharmacists shouldn't be able to deny patients the medication prescribed by doctors. Women seeking birth control prescription are increasingly being turned away at pharmacies. This is the second time lawmakers have tried to pass a "must-fill" law in Nevada. The issue is important in rural Nevada where there are fewer pharmacies and fewer options for patients who are turned away. It was replaced with a measure requiring pharmacists to transfer a prescription to another pharmacy if they cannot or will not fill it. A lobbyist for the conservative Nevada Concerned Citizens said her group objected to the "must-fill" language. Sen. Warren Hardy, R-Las Vegas, said there was little support for the measure. "If pharmacists have some moral objection they should be able to follow that." June 15, 2005 Associated Press
US North Carolina: Pharmacists Can Face Legal Action for Saying 'no' . The North Carolina Board of Pharmacy adopted a policy in April of 2005 that states that a pharmacist can decline to dispense a prescription based on moral issues, but he or she then refer the patient to a pharmacist who will dispense the drug. Emotions run high on the topic, with a mix of pharmaceuticals, sex and two kinds of morality. We need to settle on a definition of terms. A woman is pregnant when a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. Preventing the fertilization or the attachment is standard contraception accepted by everyone with the exception of the Roman Catholic Church. The Vatican accepts the rhythm method, which uses the timing of intercourse to avoid ovulation. Dislodging and expelling the fertilized egg from the uterine wall is abortion. Contraception is not abortion. Emergency contraceptive products prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine wall and a woman can avoid pregnancy by consuming this product after intercourse but prior to the egg attachment to the uterine wall. Missed birth control pills or rape can produce an urgent need for emergency contraception that should be administered within 72 hours of intercourse. The only drug which causes an abortion is RU 486 and this product can be provided only by a physician. A pregnancy could result when a pharmacist declines to dispense a prescription for an emergency contraceptive and fails to refer the patient to another source for the product. This pharmacist could have liability for the tort of "wrongful conception,". Damages could include medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of wages and emotional distress, but not the cost of raising the child. If the pregnant patient decides to have an abortion, it is possible that the pharmacist could also be liable for that expense. It is possible for pharmacists to decline to dispense prescriptions for contraception, but such an act may have serious consequences. June 13, 2005 The Herald-Sun (NC)
Illinois Pharmacist Sues Over Contraceptive Rule. A pharmacist in Illinois has filed a lawsuit challenging an order requiring pharmacies to dispense birth control and emergency contraceptives without delay. He says in his lawsuit that the order violates state law by requiring pharmacists to act against ethical and religious beliefs. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, is the third contesting the governor's action. He said that he conscientiously objected to the order and this says "you're going to have to do things that are morally objectionable." A spokeswoman said the governor had issued the order to make sure women had access to the health care their doctors prescribed. The pharmacist said he had not dispensed or stocked emergency contraceptives and did not plan to. A nurse filed a lawsuit against Eastern Illinois University, claiming she was denied a promotion because she objected to dispensing the morning-after pill but a spokeswoman for the university, said the reason that the nurse, Andrea Nead, had not been hired had nothing to do with her opinion of the morning-after pill. The American Center for Law and Justice, the conservative legal group representing Ms. Nead, represents six pharmacists in a separate lawsuit against the governor's order. June 10, 2005 New York Times*
US New York: Albany's Duty on Birth Control. The FDA continues to dawdle over granting women over-the-counter access to emergency contraceptives. This is the impetus for legislation pending that would permit pharmacists in NY State to dispense emergency contraception. Only the FDA can decide whether to switch a drug to over-the-counter status, determining which providers may prescribe medications is left to the states. NY requires that women seeking emergency contraception obtain a prescription from a licensed health provider. Because the treatment must be started fairly soon after intercourse (ideally 24 hours) to be effective, the time and expense of a medical visit poses a barrier to this effective back-up birth control method. For the third year, the State Assembly has approved easing access by giving pharmacists the authority to dispense emergency contraception using a non-patient-specific prescription. The bill's fate now rests with the Republican Senate. It is sad that the FDA is forcing states to rely on local authority to make emergency contraception more readily available. May 22, 2005 New York Times*
US Tennessee: House Delays Action on Contraception Bill. The Tennessee House is to consider a bill that would require hospitals to provide rape victims with emergency contraception or tell them victim where they can receive it. The sponsor rescheduled it for a vote next because opponents had given legislators bad information. The bill is not about abortion but hospitals affiliated with religious entities having a moral opposition to abortion would oppose the bill. The bill would impose a fine of $5,000 on a hospital for each instance in which a rape victim was not informed about or offered emergency contraception. Two violations could lead to suspension or revocation of a hospital's license. Emergency contraception information and services are rare in Tennessee hospitals. Only 26 of 101 emergency rooms provide emergency contraception or direct sexual assault victims to a facility that provides contraception. The state of Tennessee should not be making fathers out of rapists. Many churches oppose the bill on the basis that life begins at conception. Further action is considered unlikely this year. May 19, 2005 Chattanooga Times Free Press (US)
US Oregon: Senate OKs Emergency Contraceptives Bill. Women would be allowed to buy emergency contraception without a prescription under a measure approved by the Oregon Senate. The bill would allow trained pharmacists to offer the "morning after" pill, which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. If it becomes law, Oregon would join six other states that allow pharmacists to dispense emergency contraceptives without a prescription. Backers said it would help prevent abortions and unintended pregnancies. The bill involves emergency contraception, not a drug that is aborts a pregnancy. Under the bill pharmacists who have moral or religious objections would not be required to dispense emergency contraceptives. Sen. Charles Starr objected saying it would promote promiscuity and lead to a higher incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. May 17, 2005 Associated Press
U.S. Probe Sought of Memo on 'Morning-After' Pill. Democrats called for an investigation into whether a memo from a Christian doctor influenced rejection of an over-the-counter "morning-after" contraceptive - Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Plan B. Reports about the memo added to concerns that politics was trumping science in the government's review of Plan B contraceptive. The memo's author is a Bush appointee, Dr. David Hager, to a FDA advisory panel that voted 23-4 approval to sell Plan B without a prescription. The FDA ruled against that advice citing concern that young girls might not be able to use Plan B safely. The FDA now is considering a new application for a set of pills that can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after intercourse. One of the dissenting votes confirmed that he wrote a memo to the FDA expressing the "minority opinion". He did not elaborate on the memo's contents or keep a copy of it. He is quoted as saying that the memo was written from a scientific perspective, not a Christian one. May 13, 2005 Reuters
Many Catholic and Non-catholic US Hospitals Do Not Dispense EC in Emergency Departments. Approximately 55% of Catholic hospitals and 42% of non-Catholic hospitals in the US do not dispense emergency contraceptives (EC). 597 Catholic hospitals and 615 non-Catholic hospitals were surveyed between 2002 and 2003. More than 33% of non-Catholic facilities and 29% at Catholic facilities said EC is available at their emergency departments. Many said they had restrictions on who could access EC. 45% of non-Catholic hospitals said the pills were available only to sexual assault survivors, 44% said only upon consultation with a physician on duty and 11% required women to take a pregnancy test. 79% of Catholic hospitals said they only dispense pills to sexual assault survivors and 19% require a physician on duty to decide whether to dispense EC. 52% of hospital staff at non-Catholic hospitals and 47% at Catholic hospitals gave callers a referral to a facility where EC could be obtained. However, 80% of the referrals given by non-Catholic hospitals and 65% given by Catholic hospitals were either wrong numbers, facilities that were closed on weekends or facilities that did not provide EC. Six states had laws requiring hospitals to provide EC, but 40% of staff in hospitals in these states said EC was not available at their facilities. May 05, 2005 Kaiser Network
Contraception Debate Delays Nomination of FDA Chief. The nomination of Lester Crawford as commissioner of the FDA was put on indefinite hold by two Democratic senators to protest the delay in deciding whether to allow non-prescription sales of Plan B. Sen. Crawford, FDA's acting commissioner, left the meeting without commenting. The FDA approved emergency contraception as a prescription-only drug but its manufacturer applied to sell Plan B without a prescription, and an advisory panel voted to support the application and FDA's scientific staff recommended approval. The acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research rejected the application. The FDA was supposed to decide on a revised application in January and it has become contentious -- with conservatives saying it would encourage promiscuity and advocates saying it would prevent pregnancies. Some religious conservatives consider emergency contraception a form of abortion. Most medical professionals do not. A lawsuit wants Plan B to be available on pharmacy shelves, while the manufacturer proposed that it be available without a prescription but only from a pharmacist. April 07, 2005 Washington Post
Colorado Governor Vetoes Requirement for Rape Victims to Get Info on Emergency Contraception. The Colorado governor vetoed a bill requiring hospitals to tell rape victims about emergency contraception, saying it would force church-backed institutions to violate their ethics. The governor, a Roman Catholic who has campaigned on conservative values, said the measure was probably unconstitutional and did not provide victims with balanced information. State Rep. Fran Coleman said she was disappointed, saying rape victims didn't ask for that procreation. The measure passed 46-19 in the House and 22-13 in the Senate but did not have the two-thirds vote needed to override the veto. Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput objected to the bill because it did not require rape victims to be told that some medications stop a fertilized egg from being implanted, which he says amounts to abortion. He said the church does not object to rape victims taking steps to prevent ovulation when there is no risk to a fertilized egg. April 06, 2005 Associated Press
Contraception: Uncomfortable Plan B. The FDA has failed to meet its deadline for a decision on Plan B, which can block conception after sex. FDA staff and an advisory panel have endorsed Plan B's sale to women 16 and older without a prescription. But some conservatives object and during a Senate confirmation, Crawford, the proposed Commissioner of the FDA, seemed to indicate that the approval is close but a formal announcement is unlikely before his nomination. Senators won a promise to give them a private briefing on the status of the Plan B before the vote. April 02, 2005 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
US New Hampshire: Senate Approves Emergency Contraception Bill, Rejects Age Limit. The NH state Senate voted to allow women to buy emergency contraception without a prescription. Gov. John Lynch supports the bill that would allow specially trained pharmacists to offer the "morning after" pill. It doesn't abort pregnancy, but if taken within 72 hours of intercourse, can cut a woman's chances of pregnancy by 89%. The FDA advisory committees recommended that the drug be made available over the counter, but an agency director said not enough information was known about the use by teenagers or how it would affect their sexual behavior. Opponents also said the bill would encourage promiscuity and tried in vain to get the Senate to limit access to women age 18 and older. Supporters argued the pill would prevent abortions and unintended pregnancies by making access to the drug easier. Maine voted last year to allow pharmacists to dispense the contraceptives without a prescription - becoming the sixth state to do so. April 01, 2005 Associated Press
Chile's Pols Battle Over Emergency Contraception. Posters by Chile's Health Department to advertise a new policy of making the morning-after pill freely available, are gathering dust in a warehouse and the country's sub-secretary of health has lost his job. Cardinal Errazuriz is urging candidates to be clear where they stand on emergency contraception. And the left-wing coalition that has been ruling Chile since 1990 faces strains as its leading presidential candidates, both female--Soledad Alvear and Michelle Bachelet--prepare to face each other in primaries in July. These events are the latest tensions between the government and the Catholic Church over emergency contraception. It began when the then country's sub-secretary of health said the government would distribute emergency contraception to all who wanted it, free of charge. Three times as many unwanted teen-age pregnancies occur in Chile's poorest municipalities than in its richest. Within hours of his remarks his boss, Health Minister Pedro Garcia, fired him. Internal government polls indicate that 70% of the population backs the free distribution of Postinor-2 for rape victims, although only 50% support universal distribution. The former minister for women's issues and the Christian Democratic presidential candidate has come out strongly against the use of emergency contraception by anyone other than a rape victim. Her opponent, Michelle Bachelet, a physician with the Socialist party, is widely assumed to support a policy of access to emergency contraception. The lawyer who represented a Santiago-based women's center to legalize the use of emergency contraception says that voicing support for the pill right now would cost votes. So far, Bachelet is leading by 25%. Both women were also polling slightly ahead of the right-wing candidate. Chile's Supreme Court rejected the sale of the emergency contraceptive in 2001 but the government approved it, sparking an offensive by religious and conservative groups who argued the pill was a form of abortion. The government has consistently said that emergency contraception pills work like other birth control pills but should only be used in emergencies. Last year about 18,000 doses were sold in pharmacies. Last July Postinor-2 got the final go-ahead when the Court of Appeals rejected the latest appeal against its sale. The ruling legalized marketing of the drug, but access policy was left to the government. The Ministry decided to incorporate the pill as part of its program for preventing unwanted pregnancies and announced it would distribute it freely to rape victims. The Catholic Church lashed back and launched a campaign, including a letter urging Catholics to voice their opposition. Thousands of women took to the streets to protest the pill's distribution. Some mayors announced they would prevent its distribution. Socialist Congressman Rossi says Garcia's decision to sack Infante was a direct result of pressure from the Catholic Church, who didn't want to hurt a potential presidential candidate Alvear's chances of winning the primaries. April 01, 2005 Women's E-News
Going with Plan B; Health Canada Making 'Morning After Pill' More Accessible. Ready access to emergency contraception has likely prevented hundreds of abortions and Health Canada is preparing to make the "morning-after pill" available without a prescription. Women in British Columbia have been able to buy the drug without a prescription since 2000, and demand has more than doubled. Proponents have praised the move to behind-the-counter status, but continue to push for the drug to be sold, without restrictions, on pharmacy shelves. Women who used emergency contraceptives rationally and promptly were more likely to get Plan B directly from a pharmacist. The majority of women sought the drug because of a contraceptive failure and were more likely to do so when their risk of pregnancy was highest. Almost 18,000 British Columbia women used emergency contraception in 2002, compared with an average of 8,800 in 1999, when non-prescription sales began. Almost 60% sought emergency contraception within 24 hours of intercourse and almost 90% at 48 hours. The "morning-after pill" can prevent pregnancy up to 72 hours after intercourse, though effectiveness declines over time. Only 2% used the drug repeatedly. Timely access to emergency contraception can reduce abortions. Over a two-year period, approximately 550 unwanted pregnancies were avoided in B.C. The drug is available without a prescription in Quebec and Saskatchewan. March 29, 2005 Canadian Press
EC for Victims of Sexual Assault in New Jersey. NJ Governor Codey signed legislation that would require all New Jersey hospitals to provide survivors of sexual assault with information about and access to emergency contraception. The bill was passed by unanimous vote earlier this year. March 21, 2005
US Massachusetts: `Morning After Pill' Bill May Put Mitt in Middle. Abortion-rights advocates and anti-abortion activists said they're gearing up for a fight over access to the morning after pill. It passed the Senate last year, and it will end up on Gov. Mitt Romney's desk. The bill would make the pill available in hospital emergency rooms for victims of rape and allow women to get the pill through a pharmacist. Romney wouldn't comment maintaining that he opposes abortion and won't alter state laws while he serves. Advocates said they're gearing up for an override fight should Romney veto the bill. February 25, 2005 Herald, The (UK)
FDA Delays Decision on OTC Emergency Contraceptive, Plan B. The FDA has informed Barr Pharmaceuticals that it is unable to complete its review of the Company's Application (sNDA) to market the Plan B(R) emergency contraceptive Over-The-Counter (OTC) by the January 21st Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date. The FDA indicated that it is committed to completing its review in the near future. Plan B continues to be available to American consumers by prescription. The Company's sNDA would permit the OTC sale without a prescription for women 16 years of age and older. It would maintain the prescription status for women age 15 years of age and younger. Taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, Plan B reduces the risk of pregnancy by 89% after a single act of unprotected sex. Plan B is more effective when taken in the first 24 hours after intercourse. Emergency contraception is available in 101 countries, 33 of which do not require a prescription. Emergency contraception is available without a prescription in six U.S. states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico and Washington). February 02, 2005 Medical News Today
Make the FDA OK the Morning Afer Pill . January 20th is a big day - it's the inauguration, but it is also the deadline for the FDA to decide whether or not to allow the morning-after pill to be sold over-the-counter. Improving access is critical for women of all ages, but especially for victims of sexual assault. Please take a moment to speak out today, and thank you for receiving The FDA has already found EC to be safe and effective, and the FDA's own advisors overwhelmingly recommended approving the application. So what happened? On May 6, 2004 the FDA caved in to right-wing pressure and denied the application. Will the FDA do the right thing this time and help women prevent unintended pregnancy? Or will politics prevail again? The Department of Justice has just released its first-ever medical guidelines for treating sexual assault victims - and they have dropped any reference to EC. Apparently, helping women who have been raped isn't as important to the Bush administration as pushing its own far-right ideology. Please sign today to help make EC more accessible to victims of sexual assault, and all women who need it: http://www.care2.com/go/z/20613 January 19, 2005 Care2
Science and Morality. The FDA is to weigh scientific evidence and make judgments about drug safety as it prepares to rule on making emergency contraceptives available without a doctor's prescription. More than 70 major medical and public health groups endorse over-the-counter sales to young women over 16. But the FDA rejected its advisory panel's recommendation. The FDA said information about the drug's safety in women under the age of 16 was lacking. The revised application addresses that criticism by requiring more stringent screening of purchasers. The decision was cheered by conservatives who worry that emergency contraception will encourage risky sexual behavior as it doesn't protect against sexually transmitted diseases. The only large-scale study found no increase in risky sexual behavior among women taking the emergency contraceptive Plan B which does not cause miscarriages and cannot harm an established pregnancy. The scientific consensus leaves only questions of politics and morality. Those are not legitimate issues for the FDA. January 18, 2005 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Protesters Rip Store Over Birth Control; Pharmacist Refused to Dispense Pills. Planned Parenthood, which organized a protest, says the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act does not apply to pharmacists. That law says health-care providers cannot be held liable for withholding treatment that violates their personal beliefs. But the American Pharmacists Association says pharmacists can't be compelled to dispense a medication to which they have moral objections. There must be a system in place to make sure the patient gets the drug her doctor has prescribed. The Illinois attorney general has not issued an opinion. Planned Parenthood says the problem is widespread, although no figures are available. Most women turned away by a pharmacist value privacy more than their right to access contraceptives. The group's Chicago office said it had filed two complaints on behalf of two clients against a pharmacist at the Loop Osco store. Planned Parenthood of Springfield has also had Downstate pharmacists declining to dispense birth-control pills. A girl was told the pharmacist wouldn't fill her prescription because emergency contraception was "killing babies." Most doctors say there is no pregnancy until after implantation. The State Department of Professional Regulation would not confirm that the agency had received complaints and invited any citizen who feels a pharmacist has broken the law to file a complaint by phone, at 312-814-6910, or online at www.idfpr.com. A spokeswoman for Jewel-Osco said that when a pharmacist chooses not to fill a prescription, that person is supposed to refer the customer to another pharmacist or another pharmacy. A spokeswoman for Walgreens said the company does not force pharmacists to sell something against their religious beliefs, but are required to help the customer by suggesting she come back later, go to a different store, or find another solution. The problem is worse when there's only one pharmacy in a 100-mile radius but even when there's another one nearby, women are humiliated when a pharmacist refuses to fill their prescription or are told to come back in a few hours. January 18, 2005 Chicago Tribune
U.S. Shift on Rape Victims; Local Health Workers Protest Federal Change in Treatment Guidelines That No Longer Mention Plan B Contraception . New federal guidelines for treating rape victims don't mention emergency contraception. 278 groups, including some with religious affiliations, have asked for an amendment to the protocol that describes how to deal with sexually transmitted disease but barely mentions pregnancy prevention. Why would women have to have a double trauma [rape and pregnancy] when one is easily preventable? New York State law requires hospitals to offer rape victims emergency contraceptive pills. The federal guidelines would not supersede state law. Hospital workers in New York City and on Long Island said yesterday that failing to offer emergency contraception would be a serious omission and could violate medical ethics. A nurse and sexual assault examiner who works closely with the Suffolk County police said it's urgent that women receive emergency contraceptives as soon as possible after a rape. It's more beneficial to prevent a pregnancy than to have an abortion. Any assault victim should be offered that option, but it's dangerous where it hasn't been put into legislation because it can be left up to the individual hospital. January 11, 2005 Newsday (New York)
Morning-after Pill?; Study Eases Worry About More Teen Sex. A new study may help federal regulators reach a rational decision about Plan B, the emergency contraceptive. It is the same-old birth control pill that is taken in two stronger doses within 72 hours after intercourse. Unlike RU-486, Plan B works by preventing a pregnancy from taking hold and is safe enough to be sold over the counter. Plan B could safely prevent an 1.7 million unwanted pregnancies in the U.S. each year. A concern is that the existence of the pill would lead to more teen sex and pregnancies. A new study concludes that access to Plan B doesn't change sexual behavior. Of more than 2,000 young California women a third had easy access to Plan B but their behavior was no different. The FDA took a rare step in rejecting a proposal to sell Plan B over the counter because of health worries for girls age 11 to 16. The manufacturer has suggested to sell Plan B behind the pharmacist's counter, and available without a prescription to all women older than age 16. Plan B is nothing but good news in the battle against teen pregnancy. January 11, 2005 Sacramento Bee
US Massachusetts: Action Urged on Morning-after Pill; Finneran Pressed to Permit Debate. Abortion rights supporters urged a debate to make the morning-after pill more available, over fierce objections from Catholic leaders who say that the bill would force Catholic hospitals to violate the church's teachings on abortion. The bill would require all Massachusetts emergency rooms to to make the pill available to the patient and would allow trained pharmacists to issue the pill without a prescription. Six other states have similar legislation. An editorial in the official newspaper of the Archdiocese said the bill "will oblige Catholic hospitals to cooperate with the evil of abortion". Supporters say the bill is necessary to ensure that rape victims have access to the pill. If the pill is taken within 12 hours of intercourse, the chance of pregnancy is 0.4 percent. A survey found that 12 of the state's 71 hospitals do not provide the morning-after pill but only six were Catholic, 36% of the state's Catholic hospitals offered the pill to those who asked. July 01, 2004 Boston Globe
US Alabama: U.S. - Alabama group fights morning-after pill. The Alabama Christian Coalition wants to throw out a policy requiring state clinics to offer patients the morning-after pill. A number of clinics offered the pill leading the state's officials to issue a regulation that all clinics offer the option when informing patients about contraception. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., has written the Department of HHS for clarification of the policy that forced them to issue the regulation and said he would get a majority of the congressional delegation to sign a letter telling state and federal health officials the state does not require distribution of the morning-after pill. June 17, 2004 United Press International
Compromise May Restrict 'Morning-after' Pill. An FDA panel voted 23 to 4 in favor of making the Plan B drug available at drugstores but the proposed compromise would ignore important elements. This has been criticized by conservatives who say it would lead to teenage promiscuity. The talks have focused on setting a minimum age for purchasers and keeping the drug behind counters so pharmacists would control sales. Critics have tried to persuade the FDA to approve the application without restrictions. Two members of the advisory panel wrote that the agency's actions suggest that its decision-making is influenced by political considerations. The process has seldom been questioned and to delay a decision seems a serious error. The FDA said it is reviewing the application. Plan B consists of a hormone for birth control called levonorgestrel taken within 72 hours after sex. It is not considered an abortion pill, since it prevents pregnancy. Advocates say it would result in a decline in unwanted pregnancies and abortions. Conservatives have opposed efforts to make Plan B easily available, saying the consequences for adolescents have not been sufficiently studied. Objections by 49 Republican members of Congress led the FDA to delay its decision by 90 days, and has asked the manufacturer for more information. Opponents are concerned that this would lead to increased teenage sexual activity, and more sexually transmitted diseases. Advocates said research into teenage use was considered by the FDA and members decided overwhelmingly that there were no scientific reasons to limit its availability. Demanding that purchasers prove their age and putting the medication behind the counter would keep many from buying it. Similar drugs have been available in other countries, and are sold without a prescription in 33 nations. The prospect of restrictions worries some activists as once the FDA decides this issue, they won't revisit it for a long time. Others complain that these rules would be impossible to enforce, and so would not have much impact. April 08, 2004 Washington Post
FDA Approval of OTC Morning After Pill Delayed. The FDA said it was delaying its decision by 90 days on whether to allow the "morning after pill" to be sold over the counter. The agency has asked for more information about the contraceptive, also known as Plan B, which is to be taken when regular contraception fails or is skipped. Opponents object to selling it over the counter, arguing that it would encourage promiscuity. Religious groups oppose use of the pill because they believe it interferes with conception. Plan B acts by preventing ovulation, but may also prevent a fertilized egg from implanting. The drug's advocates believe that the delay was political and emotional and feared the agency was responding to pressure from conservatives, who oppose making Plan B readily available. February 17, 2004 Planned Parenthood
Limits Aimed at Minors, 'Morning-After' Pills. Two bills to tighten the rules on dispensing emergency contraceptives in Virginia won preliminary approval. One would prevent Virginia's public colleges and universities from dispensing emergency contraceptives. The second would require doctors and pharmacists to obtain parental consent before prescribing them to minors. The bills must win final passage in the House, pass in the state Senate and be signed by Gov. Mark R. Warner who opposed efforts to tell university clinics what they can and cannot prescribe. Abortion rights activists said they opposed restricting ways in which birth control are dispensed. Delegates voted to relax the state's sodomy law, in compliance with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Opponents have said present laws unfairly target gays and lesbians. Delegates killed legislation to prevent unrelated low-income home buyers from pooling their resources to obtain a mortgage from a state fund as this would subsidize unmarried and gay couples. The House narrowly passed legislation to allow Virginia companies to offer health and other benefits to people besides an employee's spouse or dependent child. February 17, 2004 Planned Parenthood
Demand Emergency Contraception Over-the-Counter. The FDA will consider making emergency contraception available over-the-counter. Their overwhelming support proves that science can prevail over the misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric. Anti-choice hardliners are redoubling their efforts to prevent Plan B from gaining over-the-counter status. Emergency contraception is safe and effective. A study showed that when women have access to EC, they use it responsibly and do not put themselves at increased risk of unintended pregnancy. Emergency contraception could prevent 1.7 million unintended pregnancies and 800,000 abortions each year in the U.S. To learn more about EC, visit http://www.ppaction.org/ct/WpqnX471_Br1/ January 29, 2004 New England Journal of Medicine
Plan B Pill Would Cut Costs, Pregnancies. The morning after pill, or "Plan B," could give poor and rural women an affordable way to prevent pregnancy in an emergency. It is waiting for FDA approval for over-the-counter dispensing after an advisory committee recommended its approval. Only Washington, California, Hawaii, Alaska, and New Mexico allow sales of Plan B without a prescription. Emergency contraception prevented 100,000 pregnancies and 51,000 abortions in 2000. Plan B delivers a progestin hormone about three times the dose in a birth control pill in each of two pills taken 12 hours apart no more than three days after intercourse. Prescription Plan B currently costs around $20-25, less than one-tenth the cost of an abortion. A prohibition on Medicaid funding and a dearth of state funding prevent many poor women who desire an abortion from having one. Nearly one in four women obtaining an abortion in 2000 traveled more than 50 miles, with 8% traveling more than 100 miles. An estimated 32,000 women per year get pregnant due to rape or incest, and only California, Washington, New Mexico and New York have laws that guarantee rape victims access to emergency contraception. Some pharmacies, don't carry the drug but women do most of the shopping in pharmacies and will hurt those that don't carry Plan B. January 27, 2004 Alan Guttmacher Institute
'Morning After' Pill Gets a Boost. Scientific advisers to the Food and Drug Administration agreed on a 23-4 vote recently that Plan B brand emergency contraception -- the morning-after pill -- should be available without a prescription in order to greatly increase women's ability to get the pills in time to prevent pregnancy: within 72 hours of rape, contraceptive failure or of failure to use birth control. Emergency contraception has been estimated to cut in half the nation's 3 million unintended pregnancies each year, and thus prevent hundreds of thousands of abortions. The advisors cautioned that the wording on the package made clear that women understand: EC should be used as soon as possible after unprotected sex; it works best in the first 24 hours; it does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases; it is a backup contraceptive, and should not be used instead of routine birth control. EC cuts a woman's chance of getting pregnant by up to 89%. Each one-time-use pack today costs $20 to $30, about the same as month's worth of regular birth control pills. A massive consumer education campaign and a 24-hour hot line was promised by manufacturer Barr Laboratories. A final decision by FDA will be made in a few months. The FDA usually follows the advisor's recommendation. EC has been used by millions of women in the U.S. and abroad with few side effects. The FDA says emergency contraception is safe, and a study of 585 women that found more than 90% correctly took the first dose of Plan B in time after reading the box. 73% took the second dose on schedule, with most of the others a few hours off, which shouldn't lessen the effectiveness. Some advisers wanted restrictions on teen access to nonprescription Plan B, arguing that there wasn't enough study of the drug in minors, while other advisers said teenagers in particular should avoid pregnancy. The FDA says that there are no age restrictions on prescription Plan B, and there wouldn't be any enforcment on an over-the-counter version. Washington, California, Alaska, Hawaii and New Mexico already allow women to buy the morning-after pill directly from certain pharmacists without a prescription, in "behind the counter" sales. Plan B has no effect if a woman already is pregnant: it works by preventing ovulation or fertilization, and possibly by interfering with implantation of a fertilized egg into the uterus. The anti-abortion organization Human Life International claimed that women who use emergency contraception show an "inability to control themselves in sexual situations," but others testified that they, as women, should be able to make reproductive decisions for themselves. December 17, 2003 Sacramento Bee
FDA Panel Backs Easier Access to Morning-after Pill. A U.S. advisory panel voted to allow the morning after contraceptive pill to be sold without a prescription. The final decision will be made by the FDA who usually follows the advice of its advisory panels. The pill is intended for use within 72 hours of sexual intercourse. Opponents argued that women would rely on the pill and abandon condoms and risk acquiring sexually transmitted diseases and that availability of the pill will lead to promiscuity. Others viewed it as equivalent to abortion. Supporters argued it should be made available to give women a chance to prevent an unwanted pregnancy and reduce abortions. The pill poses no danger to a fetus if a woman is already pregnant, said an FDA reviewer. The FDA is facing political pressure to keep the pill as prescription-only. Forty-four members of Congress claim that sale without a prescription would make it as accessible as aspirin or hairspray." FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan said the agency was getting input from various groups but the decision would be based on science. December 16, 2003 Reuters
New York Governor Expected to Sign Bill Requiring Hospitals to Offer Emergency Contraception to Rape Survivors. New York Gov. George Pataki is expected to sign legislation offering emergency contraception to rape survivors. Bills in the Legislature passed after the RC hierarchy dropped opposition because hospitals are allowed to withhold EC from women who may have become pregnant. Catholic hospitals are not permitted to dispense EC if the staff determines that fertilization has occurred. There are bills pending in Congress requiring EC access to rape survivors. New York would become the fourth state after California, Washington state and New Mexico to require access to EC. 25,000 women each year become pregnant as a result of sexual assault. In other news, North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley is considering compensating survivors of the state's forced sterilization program. From 1929 through 1974 more than 7,600 were sterilized from its eugenics program. When this was stopped in 1975, a law provided the discretion to allow sterilization for an individual's "mental, moral or physical improvement" or the "public good." Easley created a committee to consider whether individuals who were sterilized should be compensated by providing education benefits, and access to a health care. September 29, 2003 Centre Daily Times
Non-prescription Emergency Contraception to Become Available in New Zealand . Women in New Zealand will soon be able to obtainthe emergency contraception (EC) Levonelle without a prescription. It is hoped that the availability of EC will reduce the nation's rising abortion rate. Over 600 pharmacies have signed up for the training course required to dispense EC. The pill and the 10-minute consultation will cost approximately $30 to $40. May 23, 2002 New Zealand Herald
U.S.: California Assembly Unanimously Passes Bill Requiring Hospitals to Provide EC to Rape Survivors. Bill AB 1860 that would require hospitals to offer emergency contraception to rape survivors when they receive medical treatment. Over 10% of the 300,000 American women who are raped each year become pregnant. If taken within 72 hours of sex, EC is "at least" 75% effective at preventing pregnancy. The bill now goes to the state Senate. If passed, California would be the forth state passing such a bill. April 23, 2002 Long Beach Press-Telegram
Emergency Contraception Links
EC Over-the-Counter Locations in California - Website
Over the counter emergency contraception is legal in Alaska, Washington, California, and Quebec. For locations of participating pharmacies in California, check this link.
EC and Birth Control Resources
Emergency Contraception FAQ - printer friendly page
EC Headlines
Morning After Pill a Danger to Women
July 11, 2003 Cambridge Reporter
Use of Morning-After Pill Rising And It May Go Over the Counter. June 13, 2003 New York Times*
EC - Actions to Take May 06, 2003 Alan Kuper
Mayor Urged to Make Morning-after Pill Available. March 17, 2003 Push newsfeed
New York Times Examines Emergency Contraception Access Issues. March 14, 2003 New York Times*
Colorado House Committee Approves Bill 'Encouraging' Hospitals to Provide EC Information to Sexual Assault Survivors. March 14, 2003 Colorado House Committee Approves Bill 'Encouraging' Hospitals To Provide EC Information to Sexual Assault Survivors
Tesco Halts Trial of Morning-afrer Pill for Under-16s . July 18, 2002
First Pre-packaged Emergency Contraception Becomes Available in Australia . July 01, 2002 Not-2-Late Web site
Who's Guilty of 'Selective Compassion'? . June 26, 2002 Push news service
Hawaii Liberalise Emergency Contraception Provision . March 14, 2002 Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Canadian Distributor Applies for Non-prescription Status for Emergency Contraception. March 12, 2002 Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report
***Use of Emergency Contraception Pills Increases in Minnesota . February 11, 2002 Associated Press
**** Virginia, USA: Morning-after Pill Bill Advances in Senate . January 31, 2002 Associated Press
Drop-in Clinic Will Give the Pill to Girls of 12 . January 30, 2002 Yorkshire Post
The Last-Chance Contraceptive (Part 1 of 2)*. January 17, 2002 Kaiser Weekly Reproductive Health Report
French Government Allows Free Emergency Contraception For Adolescents. January 10, 2002 Journel Officiel de la Republique Francaise
***UK: Judicial Review of Morning After Pill . January 01, 2002 The Guardian
New Group Calls for Ban on Morning-After Pill . January 17, 1992 Irish Times
***Proposed Bill Seeks to Increase Awareness of Emergency Contraception in US . March 6, 2002 Reuters Health
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