Plan B approved for use
‘Morning-after’ pill OK’d for over the counter
By Katie Kellogg, senior writer
Posted on August 31, 2006

The recent FDA decision to approve the use of “Plan B,” a form of emergency contraception, for over-the-counter use has ignited a firestorm of fury from opposition groups.

“We are quite distressed this has been pushed through [the FDA],” said Janice Crouse, a Senior Fellow at Concerned Women for America, one of the groups spearheading the opposition movement.

“I don’t think it should be available at all,” said sophomore Laura Pearson. “I feel it is similar to an abortion, like, ‘oh, I made a mistake, I need to take care of it.’”

Plan B, which contains ingredients similar to those found in birth control pills but in a higher dosage, has been available to women since 1999 with a prescription. However, some opponents of Plan B are concerned that eliminating the visit to a physician to obtain a prescription may have adverse effects on women’s health. It is possible that women wouldn’t  receive the testing for sexually transmitted diseases that they might otherwise get if they had to go to a doctor for the prescription.

“Using this drug without a physician is not an advantage to women, it is a disadvantage,” said Joseph DeCook, vice president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

In a recent press release found on the FDA’s Web site, the agency states that Plan B is safe and effective in preventing pregnancy. But DeCook is worried about what the long-term side effects of the drug may be.

“It has not been out long enough for us to know the long term side-effects. They won’t be known for another 15 to 20 years,” DeCook said.

Despite the controversy, many women support the FDA’s decision.

“Sometimes things happen that you don’t have control over and you need to handle the situation before it escalates into a bigger problem,” said graduate student Tiffany Griffin.

Senior Liza Drury, the co-coordinator of the JMU chapter of Voices for Planned Parenthood, said, “Over-the-counter access to emergency contraception is a major victory for women’s health and the effort to prevent unintended pregnancy. Now that access to emergency contraception will be increased, the number of unintended pregnancies among students will be decreased.”

Plan B must be taken within 72 hours in order to prevent pregnancy and it is most effective when taken within the first 24 hours. JMU alumna Mira Signer (’98), the director of Statewide Organizing of the Planned Parenthood, said some women might have difficulty obtaining the drug in such a short time span if they had to schedule an appointment with a physician first.

“With emergency contraception, timeliness is an issue,” Signer said. “Over-the-counter emergency contraception is very important for college students who may not have cars to get around. It is important to remove barriers so students can get it as soon as possible.”

Opponents of the FDA decision fear that the accessibility of Plan B will lead some people to take it as an alternative form of birth control and engage in more promiscuous behavior.

“One of the major problems with this drug is that it appears to be a magic bullet, it allows girls to be promiscuous,” said Crouse.

Freshman Chelsea Beroza disagrees. “Students are going to be involved in sexual activity no matter what; this provides a safety net for them,” she said.

The new FDA ruling will make the drug more accessible to adult women, however, girls under the age of 18 will still need to get a prescription from their doctors.