Emergency Contraception Now Closer to Over-the-Counter Availability
NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin applauds a U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee recommendation yesterday to permit over-the-counter sale of Plan B brand emergency contraception.
“If the FDA follows the recommendation of its Advisory Committee, the decision to permit sale of emergency contraception over-the-counter will be one of our nation’s most significant efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy in years,” said Courtney Emery, NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin spokesperson.
Used properly, emergency contraception prevents pregnancy in 89% of cases. However, emergency contraception is most effective in a narrow window of time following unprotected intercourse. Too often women miss this critical window because they cannot visit their health care providers right away. Over-the-counter availability of emergency contraception will remedy this widespread problem.
The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) support over-the-counter availability of emergency contraception. In fact, ACOG estimates that widespread use of emergency contraception could reduce the number of unintended pregnancies by 1.2 million annually.
“Emergency contraception has a long record of safety and efficacy in America and abroad and meets all FDA guidelines necessary for over-the-counter status. NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin joins hundreds of organizations across our country in urging the FDA to take a common sense step in improving access to comprehensive reproductive health care by permitting over-the-counter sale of emergency contraception,” said Emery.
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