FDA Says Morning-After Pill Isn’t Abortion
The FDA changed the packaging labels on Plan B to clarify that this emergency contraception pill doesn’t prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is changing the packaging information for the emergency contraception pill Plan B to explicitly state a fact that has long been well understood in the medical community: This drug can prevent pregnancy but can’t cause an abortion.
Plan B is approved for women to take within 72 hours of sex to prevent pregnancy, and is available over the counter without a prescription or medical exam. The FDA is revising labels inside the package for Plan B to remove a statement unsupported by scientific evidence: that this drug might stop a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
Changes to the packaging labels for Plan B clearly distinguish this form of contraception from medication abortion pills, which can stop a pregnancy after a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus.
In a statement on December 23 explaining the labeling changes, the FDA pointedly stated that Plan B pills are not the same thing as medication abortion pills.
“Evidence does not support that the drug affects implantation or maintenance of a pregnancy after implantation, therefore it does not terminate a pregnancy,” the FDA said in its statement.
In an emailed comment, a Planned Parenthood Federation of America spokesperson explained the distinction is important. “While emergency contraception is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy after having unprotected sex, it’s critical that people understand emergency contraception won’t work if you are already pregnant,” said Lauren Kokum, who serves as the director of affiliate communications at Planned Parenthood.
“The FDA’s action is an important step to combating the misinformation that has long been peddled by anti-abortion activists and politicians seeking to further their agenda of restricting access to the sexual and reproductive health services people need,” Kokum added.
How Does the Plan B Morning-After Pill Work?
Like birth control pills, emergency contraception medications like Plan B stop pregnancy by preventing ovulation, the monthly release of a mature egg from the ovary. Plan B contains the hormone levonorgestrel, which is found in many forms of oral birth control, but at a higher dose.
Roughly 1 in 4 women 22 to 49 years old use emergency contraception pills at least once to prevent pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
RELATED: How to Find Trustworthy Abortion, Emergency Contraception, and Birth Control Resources
Abortion Bans Are Limiting Access to Emergency Contraception, Even Though It Does Not Cause Abortion
Nine states have restricted access to emergency contraception like Plan B as of December 1, according to the Guttmacher Institute. States limit access in several ways, such as by refusing to pay for emergency contraception through government programs that cover family planning methods; by allowing health plans to exclude it from contraceptive coverage; and by letting pharmacists refuse to dispense the medication.
Concerns about access to emergency contraception spiked this summer, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that had protected abortion rights nationwide for half a century. This court ruling allowed individual states to ban or restrict pregnancy terminations.
In a concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center (PDF), the case that resulted in the end of Roe’s abortion protections, Justice Clarence Thomas indicated that other rights, including the right to contraception, also might not be guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
As of December 12, total abortion bans have been enacted in 14 states. The courts have temporarily halted abortion bans in another eight states, according to a December 19 report by the Guttmacher Institute.