Should the Morning-After Pill be Available Over-the-Counter

Should the Morning-After Pill be Available Over-the-Counter? Last Tuesday, advisors to the Food and Drug administration voted to make the morning-after pill available over-the-counter (1). The FDA has not yet acted on this recommendation (1). The morning-after pill is the vernacular term for emergency contraception, specifically, two pills with the commercial name, Plan B, which have the ability to inhibit and, depending on ones perspective, possibly to terminate unwanted pregnancies. The FDA approved the first version of the morning-after pill for prescription use in 1998 (1). The issue today is whether it should be available without a prescription. The morning-after pill is essentially a high dosage of the birth control pill†¦show more content†¦. One of the reasons why many scientists have chosen to define implantation as the beginning of pregnancy is because half of all zygotes do not survive beyond two weeks even if no action is taken to destroy them and so un-implanted zygotes are not considered necessarily viable (3). According to the Mayo Clinic, the morning-after pill prevents pregnancy from occurring because it does not terminate a developing zygote implanted on the uterine wall (1). According the American Bioethics Advisory Commission, preventing a zygote from implanting in the uterine lining, is technically abortion because life and pregnancy begin with conception (2). The American Heritage dictionary defines conception as the formation of a viable zygote by the union of the male sperm and the female ovum; fertilization (10). . Even this definition leaves room for interpretation about whether or not a zygote is viable, but for those who believe that every fertilized human egg is a human life, the debate here is identical to the debate over whether or not surgical abortion should be legal. It is a question of how human life is defined, when it begins, and under which circumstances, if any, it is permissible to end it. In polls, most Americans have demonstrated a preference for earlier abortions over later ones (7). For those who see more shades of gray in such matters, the question becomes, is the morning-after pill a better, more humane, and safer option, thanShow MoreRelatedMorning After Pill866 Words   |  4 PagesThere is a pill becoming readily available that would aid in reducing the amount of unwanted pregnancies. It is the morning after pill as it is being called. This pill can be used during the first three days after unprotected sexual intercourse to prevent the fertilization of an egg or the attachment of a fertilized egg to a womans uterus. The question is not necessarily i n the ethical issue of the pill itself. The problem or question lies in the issue of the pill being sold with or without aRead MoreShould Emergency Contraceptives Be Available Over?1411 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Robinson Should emergency contraceptives be available over the counter to girls under the age of 18? Plan B or the ‘morning after pill’ as it is sometimes known is an emergency contraceptive that is can prevent a pregnancy if it is taken within 3 days of unprotected sex or if your birth control failed you such as if a condom breaks mid intercourse. The Plan B contain a higher concentrated level of levonorgestrel which is the same hormone found in birth control pills. According to the PlanRead MoreThe Morning After Pill Essay600 Words   |  3 PagesContraception (EC) also known as the morning after pill is an alternative method used when birth control methods have failed to prevent unintended pregnancy.There are many people who support the morning after pill and many who are against the emergency contraceptive. According to the blog â€Å"A Night for Emergency Contraception†, the morning after pill is a good way to stay safe and have fun. Emergency contraception is now easier to take, one no longer has to take one pill then wait twelve hours to take anotherRead MoreBirth Control Births1255 Words   |  5 PagesWas it an accident? Were the birth control pills left on the bedside untaken? Or did the pregnancy results from a rape? Women turn to the morning-after contraceptive pill for many reasons. In many European countries, women can buy the morning-after pill over the counter. In Germany however, this purchase is allowed only under prescription (Ware). 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The morning after pill is only available by prescription and or over the counter (with proof of being 18 years or older). In 2006, the purchase age for the morning after pill was lowered to17. In the United States, there is an average of 1 million teen pregnancy reported every year. Of those 1 million girls, 38%Read MoreThe Plan B Pill2024 Words   |  9 PagesThe Morning After Pill Introduction/Thesis: Speculation of when life actually begins in the womb and whether or not the Morning After pill encourages sex amongst teenagers has been carried out for years and with that speculation, many perspectives have been formed for different sides of the pill. Data and opinions have been weighed in regards to the Morning After Pill, but though an examination of different perspectives on this controversial subject, research supports that the Morning