The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that it will change the package label of emergency contraceptive plan B to state that it is not an abortion pill.
According to many anti-abortion activists, any form of destruction to the egg is considered abortion.
The FDA said on Friday it would remove all mentions on packaging that claim the pill could prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
“Plan B One Step does not work if a person is already pregnant, meaning it does not affect existing pregnancies,” the FDA said. It prevents pregnancy by acting on ovulation that occurs.
“Because there is no evidence that this drug affects implantation or maintenance of pregnancy after implantation, pregnancies cannot be terminated.”
Over-the-counter medications can be used after sex to prevent pregnancy. According to the FDA’s recommendations, Plan B should be taken as soon as possible within 72 hours of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure.
The drug, which comes in the form of a single tablet, contains a higher dose of the synthetic hormone levonorgestrel than oral contraceptives and works in a similar way by stopping or delaying the release of eggs from the ovaries. To do.
According to Friday’s FDA update, label changes are being made at the request of Plan B manufacturers after “careful consideration of additional scientific evidence.”
“The FDA has determined that current science supports the conclusion that Plan B One-Step works by inhibiting or delaying ovulation and mid-cycle hormonal changes.
“This evidence also supports the conclusion that there is no direct effect on fertilization or implantation.”
A 2021 study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 24.3% of women between the ages of 22 and 49 used emergency contraception.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year to overturn Roe v. Wade, thereby stripping abortion rights, many pharmacies have reportedly placed limits on the number of emergency contraceptives consumers can purchase. .
Access to emergency contraception is still severely restricted in some conservative states.
Despite Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott saying rape victims can take Plan B, the pill is among the poorest in Texas, especially since it can sell for up to $50. Some of the layers reportedly remain unavailable.
A public university in Idaho has warned employees against instructing students how to obtain emergency contraceptives because they could face felony prosecution.
Under state abortion laws, except in the case of rape, university officials and school clinics are prohibited from distributing emergency contraceptives or telling students where to get them. It is