Lawmakers Back Contraception Bill
Lawmakers Back Contraception Bill
U.S. House Passes Bill to Make Contraceptives Easier for Public to Access
July 14, 2004 -- The House of Representatives approved a move Thursday night that could smooth the way to over-the-counter use of emergency contraceptives like Plan B.
Lawmakers unanimously passed a measure barring the FDA from keeping any contraceptive off the over-the-counter market once the agency has found it to be safe and effective.
While the bill does not specifically mention the controversial emergency contraceptive known as Plan B, supporters were quick to point to the product as their motivation for pushing the vote.
In May, an FDA advisory committee voted 23-4 to recommend that the FDA make Plan B available in drug stores without a prescription.
In an unusual move, the FDA denied the recommendation, saying that Plan B maker Barr Laboratories Inc. hadn't done enough to prove that Plan B was safe for girls under 16 years of age. The agency told Barr to either provide proof that Plan B was safe for adolescent girls or come up with a way to prevent them from buying it without a prescription.
The FDA's decision spurred sharp criticism from several health groups and lawmakers, who accused the agency of bowing to pressure from conservative organizations and possibly even the White House. Earlier this year, 49 Republican lawmakers, lead by Rep. David Weldon (R-Fla.), a physician, signed a letter to President Bush asking him to block over-the-counter sales of Plan B.
The Senate has not yet acted on a similar bill, which would be necessary for it to become law.
Oral emergency contraceptives like Plan B, also known as the morning-after pill, contain higher doses of the same hormones found in some birth control pills and are very effective at preventing pregnancies when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. It is a progestin-only method and is taken in two doses 12 hours apart. The morning-after pill has been available for several years, but it is not widely used.
Many women still don't know about emergency contraception or they confuse it with the abortion pill RU-486, which can end pregnancies up to 12 weeks after conception. Plan B prevents a pregnancy from establishing, and this is why the window of opportunity for its use is so short. Plan B does not abort a pregnancy.
Lawmakers Back Contraception Bill
U.S. House Passes Bill to Make Contraceptives Easier for Public to Access
July 14, 2004 -- The House of Representatives approved a move Thursday night that could smooth the way to over-the-counter use of emergency contraceptives like Plan B.
Lawmakers unanimously passed a measure barring the FDA from keeping any contraceptive off the over-the-counter market once the agency has found it to be safe and effective.
While the bill does not specifically mention the controversial emergency contraceptive known as Plan B, supporters were quick to point to the product as their motivation for pushing the vote.
In May, an FDA advisory committee voted 23-4 to recommend that the FDA make Plan B available in drug stores without a prescription.
In an unusual move, the FDA denied the recommendation, saying that Plan B maker Barr Laboratories Inc. hadn't done enough to prove that Plan B was safe for girls under 16 years of age. The agency told Barr to either provide proof that Plan B was safe for adolescent girls or come up with a way to prevent them from buying it without a prescription.
The FDA's decision spurred sharp criticism from several health groups and lawmakers, who accused the agency of bowing to pressure from conservative organizations and possibly even the White House. Earlier this year, 49 Republican lawmakers, lead by Rep. David Weldon (R-Fla.), a physician, signed a letter to President Bush asking him to block over-the-counter sales of Plan B.
The Senate has not yet acted on a similar bill, which would be necessary for it to become law.
Oral emergency contraceptives like Plan B, also known as the morning-after pill, contain higher doses of the same hormones found in some birth control pills and are very effective at preventing pregnancies when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. It is a progestin-only method and is taken in two doses 12 hours apart. The morning-after pill has been available for several years, but it is not widely used.
Many women still don't know about emergency contraception or they confuse it with the abortion pill RU-486, which can end pregnancies up to 12 weeks after conception. Plan B prevents a pregnancy from establishing, and this is why the window of opportunity for its use is so short. Plan B does not abort a pregnancy.
