In case you missed it, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. Bloomberg writes that anti-abortion groups could take aim at the morning after pill, branded “Plan B”, next
The Mayo Clinic: Women take Plan B up to 72-120 hours after sex. It delays ovulation, meaning it temporarily stops the body from producing an egg. It *does not* end a pregnancy or get rid of a fertilized egg. That’s what makes it different from the abortion pill
But The Federalist begs to differ. In some cases, Plan B can prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb. How isn’t that abortion?
And past FDA labels on Plan B said the drug could stop a fertilized egg from implanting in the womb. But CNBC says that hasn’t been scientifically proven -- the only reason that language was there is because of a compromise with anti-abortion groups
And in December, the FDA announced it’s changing the label on Plan B to make it clear that it’s *not* an abortion pill, and it *won’t* stop a fertilized egg from implanting
Some politicians used the old label to argue the morning after pill equals an abortion. See Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene do so here
Refinery29 says this is absolutely wrong. No study has shown that Plan B ends a pregnancy. It’s not an abortion pill, full stop
Mother Jones is annoyed: How can these politicians push for a ban on the morning after pill if they refuse to educate themselves about the drug
A Hill Op offers a practical argument: If pro-lifers want to score political points, they won’t take extreme positions like banning Plan B. If they do, pro-life legislation won’t get support
And in fact, some politicians use Plan B to defend strict abortion laws. Texas Gov Greg Abbott did just that
By the way, after Roe was overturned, CVS, Rite Aid, and Walmart had to ration Plan B. The demand skyrocketed -- The WSJ
And there may be laws to step in soon. Reason Magazine writes about the Right to Conception Act -- which would be a way for Congress to protect emergency contraception like Plan B from state bans
Read the Right to Contraception Act here
Brands are working to make the morning after pill more accessible, too. Well+Good writes on Julie, a company that’s looking to remove the stigma from emergency contraception
If you want the morning after pill to be accessible for everyone *now*, consider moving to France! The country is making the morning after pill free to everyone in 2023