One of the best kept secrets in reproductive health is the existence and effectiveness of emergency contraception, otherwise known as the morning after pill. This is essentially just a high dose of progestin, a hormone found in the birth control pill. It prevents ovulation, thus stopping a woman from becoming pregnant. Emergency contraception can be taken for up to 72 hours after having unprotected sex. The sooner you take it, the more effective it is.
Theoretically, 75% of unintended pregnancies could be stopped with emergency contraception. Which means that thousands, if not millions, of abortions could be stopped as well. I'm a guy who believes fully and whole-heartedly in a woman's right to have an abortion. I also believe fully that abortion is a procedure that, ideally, no woman would ever have to go through. From everything I understand, it can be an incredibly trying experience that no woman would want to experience. So I believe abortion should be available and I also believe that the fewer abortions performed, the better.
There are many people in this country that believe abortion is evil. They believe abortion is murder. They believe abortion should not be allowed except in extreme cases (think rape and the health of the mother). There are even those that believe abortion shouldn't be an option even in those extreme cases. They want to see abortion eliminated.
Guess what? We've got some common ground here. The fewer abortions the better, right?
So if we had a simple and effective way to immediately cut the abortion rate in, say, half--if not more--surely we would both be pushing that solution hard, right?
Wrong.
The FDA has delayed a decision to approve Plan B, one of the brands of emergency contraception, for over the counter availability. The decision is now expected to come May 21. Why is this decision being delayed? According to a MSNBC article from a few days ago, the delay comes from political concerns:
Opponents of a switch, including several Republican lawmakers, argue that easy access to the product may increase sexual promiscuity, particularly among teen-agers.
Shocking, isn't it? Do you suppose the administration that has
reimposed the
Global Gag Rule might be behind this?
I find it amazing that a pill that has been proven perfectly safe and effective, that could prevent 75% of unintended pregnancies if only it were widely used and available, and does this all without doing anything even close to resembling an abortion (it prevents pregnancy rather than causing an early abortion, as is often falsely assumed) is not being promoted left and right by both anti abortion and pro choice groups. Every person across the board on this issue should be in favor of increased usage of emergency contraception.
Yet here we have the availability of emergency contraception being impeded by political forces. Even though increased availability and usage would mean fewer abortions. The notion that availability will lead to increased sexual activity is ridiculous. What it will lead to is fewer abortions. And for that reason, it should be made available over the counter as soon as possible and every pro life group out there should be espousing its benefits.
(Shameless Promotion: This was originally posted in my blog, Nightmares For Sale. If you have a moment, check it out.)