Plan B for Plan B in US House
Thursday, several (38) representatives to the U.S. House introduced the "Plan B for Plan B Act" (H.R. 4229 loc link to text; it's short). This bill proposes to give the FDA another 30 days to make Plan B available over the counter, then make it available anyway if no decision is reached. It's currently in committee. Still in the hope that it gets out of its committee and onto the floor, and in the hopes that the same body that has committees which feel the need to rename french fried freedom fries can be taken seriously, I wrote to my Representative, even though he is a reactionary Republican. I phrased it in terms of helping women in need and in terms of reducing abortion by effective pregnancy prevention, in the hopes that one or both are attractive to such a person.
Dear Rep. Peterson,
As you know, the FDA remains stalled on making a decision on whether to make Plan B emergency contraception available over the counter. This decision has been under consideration for two years, and the scientific advisory board made their recommendation close to a year ago. Representatives Crowley, Inslee, Maloney, and Shays introduced a bill Thursday to make Plan B available over the counter until the FDA makes a decision to force the agency to stop dragging their feet.
Emergency contraception is a high dose of birth control hormones which prevents ovulation. It does not flush out an embryo and is not an abortifacient. Numerous studies have proven Plan B safe for use by teenage and adult women. It is a reliable method of pregnancy prevention for women who are raped or whose primary method of birth control fails.
Many women are too ashamed to report rapes or incestuous abuse to the police or to their doctors and thus cannot access a prescription for this medication. Some women decide after a week or a month to report the crime, but emergency contraception must be taken within three days. These women do not want to carry their attackers' children, and frequently have abortions if they are impregnated. Emergency contraception would safely prevent pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion among these women.
For women who experience a failure of their primary birth control method, making an appointment with a physician is also difficult. The demand for OB/GYN doctors exceeds demand in Pennsylvania and across the nation, as they have the highest incidence of malpractice suits. High insurance rates also make OB/GYN doctors more expensive, even for short appointments. Many in Pennsylvania are unemployed or lacking health insurance coverage. Women who are stuggling financially already are the ones who frequently want to avoid pregnancy the most, but cannot afford the fees for appointments with a doctor to get a prescription. Delays in access to emercency contraception from either poor appointment availability at the doctor's office or from high fees for a visit both lead to more unwanted pregnancies and more abortions by women in desperate circumstances.
In summary, a decision on the availability of Plan B emergency contraception is necessary. I urge you to support its availability for over-the-counter use because of 1) its proven safety record for women of all ages, 2) because of problems accessing this time-sensitive medication for the women who need it most under a prescription protocol, and 3) it will reduce the need for abortion as a direct result of fewer unwanted pregnancies.
Thank you for your time.
Dear Rep. Peterson,
As you know, the FDA remains stalled on making a decision on whether to make Plan B emergency contraception available over the counter. This decision has been under consideration for two years, and the scientific advisory board made their recommendation close to a year ago. Representatives Crowley, Inslee, Maloney, and Shays introduced a bill Thursday to make Plan B available over the counter until the FDA makes a decision to force the agency to stop dragging their feet.
Emergency contraception is a high dose of birth control hormones which prevents ovulation. It does not flush out an embryo and is not an abortifacient. Numerous studies have proven Plan B safe for use by teenage and adult women. It is a reliable method of pregnancy prevention for women who are raped or whose primary method of birth control fails.
Many women are too ashamed to report rapes or incestuous abuse to the police or to their doctors and thus cannot access a prescription for this medication. Some women decide after a week or a month to report the crime, but emergency contraception must be taken within three days. These women do not want to carry their attackers' children, and frequently have abortions if they are impregnated. Emergency contraception would safely prevent pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion among these women.
For women who experience a failure of their primary birth control method, making an appointment with a physician is also difficult. The demand for OB/GYN doctors exceeds demand in Pennsylvania and across the nation, as they have the highest incidence of malpractice suits. High insurance rates also make OB/GYN doctors more expensive, even for short appointments. Many in Pennsylvania are unemployed or lacking health insurance coverage. Women who are stuggling financially already are the ones who frequently want to avoid pregnancy the most, but cannot afford the fees for appointments with a doctor to get a prescription. Delays in access to emercency contraception from either poor appointment availability at the doctor's office or from high fees for a visit both lead to more unwanted pregnancies and more abortions by women in desperate circumstances.
In summary, a decision on the availability of Plan B emergency contraception is necessary. I urge you to support its availability for over-the-counter use because of 1) its proven safety record for women of all ages, 2) because of problems accessing this time-sensitive medication for the women who need it most under a prescription protocol, and 3) it will reduce the need for abortion as a direct result of fewer unwanted pregnancies.
Thank you for your time.