(Nov 10, 2008) Plan B, the morning-after pill, or the day-after pill? If
you're confused, you are not alone. So are a lot of other people, including
pharmacists, says a recent report. In fact, all of these drugs are the same.
(Nov 10, 2008) Plan B, the morning-after pill, or the day-after pill? If
you're confused, you are not alone. So are a lot of other people, including
pharmacists, says a recent report. In fact, all of these drugs are the same.
But in a survey conducted recently by NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, 25% of pharmacists incorrectly identified the abortion pill as the Plan B pill, which is the product name for the morning-after, or day-after pill. In fact, the abortion pill is the RU-486 pill, the only one among these that is meant to cause uterine contractions, thus expelling the embryo.
Plan B was approved by the FDA in 2006 and, unlike RU-486, does not require a prescription for women age 18 and older. The first pill is taken within three days after intercourse, and another pill is taken 12 hours after the first. RU-486, on the other hand, can be taken in the first 49 days of pregnancy. RU-486, sometimes called Mifepristone, received much criticism when it was introduced.
All of these pills, including the birth control pill, use synthetic hormones and can cause various side effects. Duramed Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Plan B, admits on its website that the product could cause nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, changes in one’s period, dizziness, and breast tenderness. It adds, “If you have severe abdominal pain, you may have an ectopic pregnancy [outside the womb], and should get immediate medical attention.” Plan B and RU-486 cannot expel an embryo growing in the fallopian tube.
The NARAL survey also found that one-third of pharmacies either did not stock Plan B or were out of it at the time. Some of the drug's disfavor comes from pharmacists who have refused to sell the drug because of its potential to act as an abortifacient. The drug's labeling states that while it works mainly by preventing ovulation, it might also work by preventing “attachment of the fertilized egg to the uterus (implantation).” Thus the blastocyst is expelled and dies.
Women in Berwyn, North Riverside, Forest Park, Cicero, Maywood should call WomanCare at 708-795-6000 to learn more about the risks of what is called “emergency contraception” before they make a decision about taking it.
Sources:
Columbus Dispatch survey article Oct. 9, 2008
“The Abortion Pill (Medication Abortion),” Planned Parenthood
Mifiprex
(RU-486) website
Plan B
Product Label, Food and Drug Administration
Plan B company website,
side effects
Emergency
contraception website of Princeton University
Abortion and Birth Control News is a project of TreeFrogClick, Inc. President, Kevin J. Banet