Have you ever had Saturday night sex result in Sunday morning panic? Maybe the condom broke, or maybe there never was a condom. Whatever the precursor, many college women are unsure of how to react to the possibility of an unintended pregnancy. Most women have heard of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), popularly known as the Morning After Pill, or Plan B. Many, though, have no idea where to obtain them or how to use them until, possibly, that Sunday morning when they are forced to find out. Introduced this week, a new legislative bill will attempt to expand knowledge of and access to ECPs in Connecticut.
Emergency Contraception has been used in a variety of forms since the 1960s, especially as a means to prevent pregnancy in victims of rape. During the early 1990s, approximately one third of those prescribed EPC were victims of sexual assault. Only in 1997, however, did the FDA approve the single-hormone brand of ECP, called Plan B, which is widely prescribed today. Once available, Plan B was immediately touted to be more effective and produce fewer side effects than its predecessors.
Throughout its history, controversy over emergency contraceptive pills has not subsided. While numerous studies have proved that the pill is safe and effective, skeptics are weary that it may have unknown consequences, or that its availability may leave people more disposed to engage in unprotected sex. On multiple occasions, the healthcare community has sought to demonstrate to the FDA that emergency contraception meets its standards for over-the-counter status, and should not require a prescription in order to obtain it. To this day, however, the FDA has not granted its approval, citing “concerns about adolescent use and increases in promiscuity.”
Another widely debated issue surrounding emergency contraception is whether healthcare providers should be mandated by law to provide emergency contraception and information regarding its use upon request, or whether pharmacists and doctors can refuse to dispense it based on moral or religious views. In recent years, states such as Georgia and Mississippi have passed laws protecting pharmacists’ right to refuse to hand out contraceptives of all kinds.
With no hope of it going over-the-counter any time soon, some states are pushing to increase access to EPC through other means. This week, a bill will be reviewed by the Connecticut legislature that, if passed, would require all Connecticut public hospitals to automatically inform rape victims about their option to take Plan B, and administer it on the spot if the patient desires.
Wesleyan’s policy on emergency contraception mirrors that of other Connecticut colleges. Once a woman knows she may be pregnant, she can make an appointment for a consultation with a health center nurse, and leave with the pills in hand. If there is no nurse available, she may receive her prescription without a consultation, as Plan B is most effective within the first seventy-two hours after sex (although it may still be taken up to five days afterwards). The Wesleyan health center reports that during the 2005 fall semester 75 prescriptions for Plan B were distributed to students.
For more information about emergency contraceptive pills- how they work, where you can get them, and why the FDA refuses to put them over the counter- come to an open discussion with Planned Parenthood Community Educator Daniel Heacock on Tuesday, Mar. 7 at 4:15 p.m. in PAC002.
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