Emergency contraception is a birth control pill that is effective within 72 hours of unprotected
sex; the sooner the better. More dosage would be required in order for EC to
work if taken later.
More than 300,000 women are sexually assaulted each year in the US. Of these an estimated
25,000 will become pregnant as a result. About 22,000 of these pregnancies could be prevented if all women who were raped had easy access to emergency contraception.
Despite its great potential to significantly lower unwanted pregnancies, which would lower
abortion, it has been rejected by the
FDA due to pro-life pressure, using limited studies conducted for 11 to 12-year-old girls as an excuse; less than 6% of pre-teen girls in
America have or start their periods, making pregnancy impossible whatsoever. It should be noted that ther is no pro-life group in
America who promotes birth control, which would significantly lower number of abortions.
It is better known as EC, Plan B or Morning-after Pill, a misnomer since it can be taken immediately after sexual intercourse, not necessarily the morning after. Some pro-lifers try to label this as an
abortion pill or abortifacient. It is not. If the fertilized egg is already implanted, which is the beginning of pregnancy, EC would not
work.
Emergency contraception would really contribute to
low number of unwanted pregnancies, but its access to American women has been made difficult due to political pressure. Instead of appointing a medical expert to the
FDA, Bush chose to appoint a voluntary professor at University of
Kentucky, solely because he was pro-life. Ladies, stand up for yourself!
