Plan B, One Year Later
Today is the one-year anniversary of Plan B’s approval for over-the-counter status (OTC). Sales of the drug remain high, though Nancy Keenan of NARAL said many women still don’t know you can now get Plan B without a prescription. If the conservative Family Research Council has their way, this lack of awareness will ultimately matter very little–the group has sued the FDA to overturn their decision to offer Plan B OTC. (Ironically, one of their complaints is that the decision to approve Plan B for OTC was made under political pressure. In fact, the FDA had delayed approval of the drug for years due to what many people–including many within the FDA itself–believed was an inappropriate politicization of the issue.)
To raise awareness of Plan B’s availability, Planned Parenthood created a short PSA and posted it on the internet. Watch it here.
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Plan-B is a stronger dose of an existing birth control pill. It doesn’t abort a pregnancy nor does it harm an existing pregnancy. I’m not sure what the religious right has against this one. It seems like an emergency back up an accident with birth control (which granted may be being used by unmarried people) or a great relief for rape victims.
The commercial while cute is probably way to frank for the religious right, and may seem to imply that you can use the pill whenever instead of for emergencies. Unfortunately I think it is trivialized by being on YouTube, although that may get a larger audience for it. I’d be happier if the legal,ie doses and time frame not later than 72 hours after sex were on the commercial.
I think the right is succeeding is snowing the country on this one, although hopefully people will realize this pill is available. It seems absurd to make people face other options when this option is available.
You may be interested in this article by Slate’s William Saletan that discusses the contraception versus abortion quarrel revolving around Plan B: http://www.slate.com/id/2139107/. The answer largely depends on whether you think preventing a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus constitutes an abortion.
Thanks Karen. I really found the Slate article helped explaing the issue around Plan B. I think it is going to be difficult until, if we ever, find away to manage birth control so everyone feels comfortable with it. As the Slate articles author says of Plan B
The odds that it will abort an embryo, rather than prevent an embryo’s creation, are very low. The earlier you get the pill, the lower the odds are. And every successful EC intervention spares a woman the greater danger of ending up with a surgical abortion. Plan B should be available over the counter so it can be what its advocates hope for, not what its enemies fear.
And still that’s not enough for people to feel comfortable. It’s quite sad that we can’t find something that works for everyone. Although I think common sense birth control, which would mean common sense birth control education and Plan B for emergencies only is the best we have.
Thanks again for the link.