Planned Parenthood hails expanded access to Plan B
Teens still need help for pregnancy prevention
8/24/06--Planned Parenthood of Indiana today applauded the decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve over-the-counter status for Plan B (the brand name for Emergency Contraception) for women 18 and older. However, Planned Parenthood officials expressed disdain at the scientifically baseless restrictions denying teenagers access to the safe method of emergency birth control.
President and CEO Betty Cockrum issued the following statement in response to the decision:
Today's announcement is an important victory and long overdue. Women need timely access to emergency birth control. Last year alone, Planned Parenthood’s 37 health centers in Indiana provided more than 23,000 prescriptions for Emergency Contraception to prevent unintended pregnancy. We hope the FDA decision will go a long way toward improving the health of adult women.
While we are glad the FDA finally ended its foot-dragging on this issue, Planned Parenthood is troubled by the scientifically baseless restriction imposed on teenagers. In Indiana, 10 teenagers under age 18 become pregnant every day. Anything that makes it harder for teenagers to avoid unintended pregnancy is bad for public health, for Indiana’s graduation rates and for preventing child abuse and neglect.
Emergency Contraception will remain available to women under 18 by prescription at Planned Parenthood health centers as well as from private physicians.
Indiana Data
Planned Parenthood of Indiana has seen demand for Emergency Contraception steadily increase, with an average increase of 21 percent per year over the past five years. The agency has sold Emergency Contraception to its patients in various forms since 1998 when the FDA first approved prescription-based sales.
Research shows that over-the-counter access to Emergency Contraception does not increase or encourage sexual activity among teens, and better access to proven prevention methods like accurate sex education and birth control are the best ways to reduce the alarming rate of teen pregnancy in this country. Planned Parenthood will continue to educate women of all ages about Emergency Contraception.
Emergency Contraception lowers the risk of pregnancy when taken within 120 hours of unprotected intercourse. Experts estimate that wide access to emergency contraception could prevent up to 1.5 million unintended pregnancies — and 800,000 abortions — a year. The sooner it is administered after unprotected intercourse, the better it works, making timely access critically important. Studies show that women do not use emergency contraception as a regular method of birth control.
Over-the-counter availability allows more timely use, eliminating barriers such as limitations of physicians' or health center hours, or pharmacists who refuse to fill birth control prescriptions. Over-the-counter status for Emergency Contraception is a leap forward for women's rights and public health.
Learn more about Emergency Contraception
• Emergency Contraception basics
• The difference between Emergency Contraception and medication abortion
• Pharmacy access to Emergency Contraception
• Teens and Emergency Contraception
