Emergency Contraceptive
Lonnie Wong, KTXL Ch. 40 Sacramento
March 20, 2007

More places, including Planned Parenthood, are making the so-called morning after pill easier to get. The emergency contraceptive is now available without a prescription, to cut down on unintended pregnancies. Critics say not so fast.

Maggie Young took full advantage the express service today. The so-called morning after pill has been shown to be up to 90 percent effective if taken 72 hours after unprotected sex. Young said, "For me I'm not ready for any pregnancies so I just want to be certain that if anything happens I want to be prepared."

Prepared for failures of contraception devices, missing a birth control pill dose, and even a rape. The two pill dose works like birth control pills and prevents eggs from being released by the ovaries, stops an egg from being fertilized, or a fertilized egg from implanting into the uterus. It does not affect anyone who's already pregnant. A simple form and a 40 dollar charge is all that's required for anyone 18 years old or older, males and females.

Lower income clients can get it at no cost. Not all drug stores were eager to embrace the drug.

The FDA approved over the counter Plan B last summer. But it was only a couple of weeks ago that the giant retailer even decided to stock the drug.

Even now, pharmacists aren't required to dispense if they have moral or religious objections.

Randy Thomasson of the Campaign for Children and Families says Planned Parenthood is promoting promiscuity. He contends the morning after pill is the easy way out for irresponsible young people, and that it will be abused. "I can see twenty year old men giving this to 15 year old girls they want to have sex with."

But Planned Parenthood says unwanted pregnancies were cut in half in countries where the morning after pill is widely used.