Availability of Emergency Contraceptives

Availability of Emergency Contraceptives

The question, "What did I do last night," has been posed by many women to themselves.

Often in response to the inquiry comes details of a sexual encounter. Sometimes, an unprotected

sexual encounter. Other times an encounter that was initially began with a condom that may

have broke. Paranoid at the thought of pregnancy, women who have had unprotected sex can

now have another option. They have the ability to obtain a prescrpition for emergency

contraceptives.

Emergency contraceptives, also known as the morning after pill or postcoital

contraception, can be used up to seventy-two hours after intercourse (Advocates for Youth 1).

The emergency contraceptive pill either delays or inhibits ovulatoin and/or alters tubal transport

of sperm or ova, inhibiting fertilization; or by altering the endometrium and inhibiting

implantation (Life Insight 4). "It is impossible to determine which mode of action is responsible

in any given cycle for a woman's failure to conceive or maintain pregnancy after 'unprotected'

intercourse" (Life Insight 4). The grace period of three days allows women the chance to obtain

and fill a prescription for Preven of Plan B, two common emergency contraceptives.

Controversy exists around the emergency contraceptive pills, as some have the viewpoint

that it is similar to abortion, an equally controversial topic. Dr. Rob Pankratz believes that

morning after pills work by 'deliberately causing the rejection of a newly concieved human

being' (Physicians for Life 1). He also goes on to say that he does not prescribe morning after

pills for conscience reasons, but will refer patients to doctors who do pres...

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Choice.org "Should Emergency Contraceptives Be Available in Schools?" Available http://www.choice.org/2.ecp.4.html

Jennings, Stewart, MD "Purchasers may not understand OTC emergency contraceptives" Available: http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/amnews/anm_01/edlt0416.htm Viewed Feb 26, 2002

KKF.org (Kaiser Family Foundation) "Emergency Contraception: From Prescription to Over the Counter" November 2000 Available: http://www.kkf.org Viewed Feb26, 2002

Life Insight. Availabile: http;//www.nccbuscc.org/profile/pubilcat/lifeinsight/sept89.html Viewed Feb 26, 2002.

McCullough, Marie "Rightrrl Karen Brauer And the Pharmacist's Conscience Clause-In the News" March 28, 1999 Available: http://www.rightgrrl.com/dec97grrl/032899.shtml

Physician's Weekly January 1, 2001 Available: http://www.physweekly. com/archive/01/01_01_01/pc.html Viewed Feb 26, 2002