My Paper!!!

Melanie Solarez
Professor Jolly
ENG 102
20 March 2007
Morning After Pill aka Plan B
When asked to choose something to evaluate I immediately thought of the morning after pill because I feel that I, along with many girls my age, can relate to how important it is. Another name for this pill is Plan B. Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that can prevent a pregnancy if taken within 3 days after unprotected sex. Some unfortunate reasons that one would want to take Plan B are: if the condom broke, you forgot to take your birth control, he did not pull out in time, you were not using any protection, or if you were forced in to having unprotected sex (Emergency Contraception).
Although there is great controversy about emergency contraception itself, the latest issue has been whether or not it should be able to be sold without a prescription.
The FDA approved the selling of Plan B over the counter, to women over 18, in August 2006 and there is still a big debate about it going on today. People who oppose the over the counter selling of Plan B say that it is the same as the abortion pill, RU-486, but in fact it is not. Plan B mainly works by stopping the releasing of an egg from the ovaries yet it will not affect an existing pregnancy. It also contains the same hormone that is found in most birth control pills just in a stronger dosage and it does not contain any estrogen (What is Plan B).
Many parents are angry at the idea of Plan B being sold over the counter because they believe that it will make teens more and more sexually promiscuous and cause the spreading of more STD’s. This is a reasonable argument but I believe that we should be realistic due to the fact that most teens are sexually active and they should be aware of the contraceptives that are available.
Another issue that the opposition addresses is that they believe that since Plan B is so accessible, people over 18 are going to buy it for girls that are underage and they will misuse it (Kachroo 238). This is possible yet unlikely because I doubt an older person would buy the Plan B for someone younger than them unless they knew her situation. If this is the case then I highly doubt that they will be misusing this pill.
With having Plan B so accessible, it will decrease unwanted pregnancies due to the fact that more women will be willing to go get it since it is so easy. Before, some women would be in panic because they needed to get their appointment in that 3 day time period and many others were embarrassed or ashamed to go their doctor or a clinic so they just avoided it all together. Supporters of the policy say that “an intelligent use of contraceptives results in the creation of healthier families, they say, since women can wait until they are emotionally and economically ready to bear children” (Update:)
Overall, the FDA approving the selling of Plan B over the counter, to women over 18, was a smart idea due to the fact that that it makes people more aware of contraceptives, it reduces unwanted pregnancies and also the accessibility enables women to maintain their privacy while enabling them to take the proper precautions.


Works Cited
Blunt, Sheryl Henderson “Morning-After Headache.” Christianity Today; November 2006, Vol.50 Issue 11, p22-23, 2p

“Emergency Contraception.” Planned Parenthood. 13 March 2007.


Kachroo, Sumesh “Morning-after pill as a nonprescription medication: Benefits and concerns.” American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy; 1 February 2007, Vol. 64 Issue 3, p238-241, 2p

"Update: Birth Control Policy." Issues & Controversies On File 17 Dec. 2006. Issues & Controversies @ FACTS.com. Facts On File News Services. 15 Mar. 2007 .

“What is Plan B?” Plan B (Levonorgestrel). 13 March 2007.