emergency contraception (ec)

Emergency contraception (EC) is a backup form of birth control that can prevent pregnancy after unprotected vaginal intercourse. EC contains hormones found in daily birth control pills and works the same way daily birth control works. EC must be started up to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse to reduce the risk of pregnancy but the sooner it is started, the better, making timely access critical. Unfortunately lawmakers around the country have been working to restrict access to EC by requiring waiting periods, parental notification, and pharmacist refusal protection. Laws like these have the potential to prevent timely access to EC which reduces its effectiveness. If we truly want to reduce unintended pregnancies, EC is a common-sense, common-ground solution to support.

• Emergency Contraception is just that: contraception. It is approved by the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) as a safe and effective method of birth control.
• A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that access to EC does not lead teens to engage in more risky sexual behavior. The study also demonstrated that ready availability does not negate the ability of women to act responsibly.[1]
• Correct use of EC within the first 24 hours of unprotected sex can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 95%.[2]

• There is tremendous grassroots support for EC from the general public. In a few short months, more than 5,000 people in Virginia signed a petition in support of EC.
• Anti-choice extremist groups whose mission is to end access to abortion continue to campaign against access to all forms of contraceptives, including Emergency Contraception, which are scientifically known to prevent unintended pregnancies.
• Pharmacists do not have fill prescriptions for any drugs, including contraceptives.

Recent Developments

• On August 24, 2006 the US FDA approved EC for non-prescription status for consumers over age 18; however, the FDA ignored scientific evidence in their decision to keep EC as a prescription-only product for women under age 18. However, in March 2009, the FDA expanded access to EC for 17-year-olds with a prescription.
• If legislators truly want to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in Virginia, one measure they should support is better access to EC.
• In June 2010, the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee recommended approving a new form of emergency contraception called ulipristal acetate; marketed in Europe as ellaOne and as ella in the U.S., this form of EC is sold as a contraceptive that could prevent pregnancy for as many as 5 days after unprotected sex. EllaOne was approved for prescription use in Europe last year, and after approval by the RHDA committee, ella could reach the U.S. market later in 2010.

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