August 21, 2007

Are we leaving low income women behind? The reality of EC access under Medicaid

Contributed by Susan Berke Fogel, J.D.

The differences between real over the counter access to Plan B and the “behind the counter” status approved by the FDA are truly significant. But for low-income women who depend on Medicaid for their health care, those distinctions are meaningless because most of them still need a prescription to get EC. It’s hard to overstate what a tremendous barrier getting a prescription can be, especially for low income women – it may be an extra trip to a physician or waiting in line at a clinic; it could mean additional costs in clinic visits, child care, lost work, or transportation. All within 72 to 105 hours.

The Medicaid program served 7.1 million women of reproductive age (15–44) in 2003 according to the Guttmacher Institute. Under Federal Medicaid law, states can decide whether or not to cover prescription drugs – all 50 states do, and whether to cover over the counter drugs - generally all require a prescription for over the counter drugs. States also have the authority to limit access to drugs through utilization controls such as requiring prior approval of a drug from the state Medicaid agency before the pharmacist can fill the prescription – problematic for a drug that has to be taken within a short time frame; limiting the number of prescriptions – for example, Utah allows only 2 prescriptions for EC per year; and cost-sharing – which fortunately does not apply to family planning services and supplies. States also are required to cover “family planning services and supplies” but they have a lot of leeway in which services and supplies they choose to cover.

Most states covered emergency contraception when it was prescription-only, and since the FDA announcement, Plan B generally is still available with a prescription in those states. Georgia, however, now only covers Plan B for teens 17 and younger, but not for adults; Mississippi has explicitly excluded Plan B from coverage. Several states have announced that they currently or in the future will make EC available without a prescription through their state Medicaid programs including Illinois, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington. The nine states that have Pharmacy Access Programs (also known as collaborative agreements that allow pharmacists to dispense EC) allow women who need prescriptions to get EC directly from a pharmacist.

The National Health Law Program has just released "Over the Counter or Out of Reach: A Report on Evolving State Medicaid Policies for Covering Emergency Contraception." This guide is an important tool that low-income health advocates and reproductive health advocates can use together to demand Medicaid coverage of Plan B without a prescription in their states. It provides a clear overview of how Medicaid allows for coverage of EC, a 50-state survey of EC and over the counter drug coverage policies, and resources to find out specifically which policies in your state govern Medicaid coverage of EC. We have a real opportunity to make easy access to emergency contraception a reality for all women. It’s time to stop leaving poor women behind.

Susan Berke Fogel, J.D., is a Consultant on Reproductive Health and Rights to the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), a national public interest law firm that seeks to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities, the elderly and people with disabilities.

August 20, 2007

Priscilla Huang on Plan B!

Contributed by Priscilla Huang

Its been one year since the Food and Drug Administration ran out of delay tactics and grudgingly approved Plan B for over-the-counter sale to adults 18 and older. For the first time since emergency contraception (EC) was introduced on the market, women and men can simply go to their neighborhood pharmacy, including Wal-Mart's, and purchase Plan B without the hassle of obtaining a prescription beforehand.

Sounds simple enough, right? In reality, your ability to access Plan B depends on who you are and who you ask. That’s because a combination of state laws, pharmacist refusal clauses, cost and insurance barriers, and pharmacy store practices can make a trip to the pharmacy quite unpredictable. This rings especially true for teens, low-income women, and women of color. Immigrant women also face additional barriers to access that ultimately renders this contraceptive option meaningless for many.

Like all women, Asian and Pacific Islander (API) women have sex. However differences in language and culture discourage many API women and girls from fulfilling their reproductive health care needs, including timely access to Plan B. For example, many young API women and girls are uncomfortable discussing issues related to their sexual health with their families or health care providers. As a result, many API women and girls have a limited understanding about their bodies and their reproductive health care choices, including emergency contraception. A study conducted in California found that 67% of South and Southeast Asian women aged 18 to 44 had no knowledge of EC.

Language differences also create barriers to access. Despite legal requirements and the capacity to do so, many pharmacies do not provide translated materials. This is problematic because individuals who require interpreters already receive fewer preventative services and often leave medical appointments without truly understanding their prescriptions. In one study, researchers concluded that language barriers exacerbated misconceptions that Vietnamese American women had about birth control pills, and prevented them from receiving accurate information about the range of contraceptive options.

These patterns are troubling because they suggest that API women are already undereducated and underserved when it comes to their reproductive health. Thus, making Plan B available over-the-counter is not enough to make EC a viable option for many API women. In addition, purchasing Plan B requires a showing of identification for proof of age. Although the ID requirement sounds innocent enough, many immigrant women do not have government-issued identification and would therefore have to obtain a prescription to access Plan B. Except if you’re Canadian. Seriously. The Drug Enforcement Administration recently published a list of acceptable forms of ID to purchase cold medicines that also have an 18 and over age requirement. Many pharmacies have adopted this list as a guideline for monitoring the adult sale of Plan B. Notably, a “driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority” is the only foreign driver’s license listed as an acceptable form of ID. The DEA’s decision to recognize drivers’ licenses from Canada and not from other countries unfairly creates barriers for certain groups of immigrants and not for others.

We have much to celebrate on the one year anniversary of the FDA’s approval of Plan B. But it’s clear that there’s also a lot of outreach and advocacy that needs to be done to make Plan B truly accessible to all women and girls.

To learn more about NAPAWF or the range of reproductive justice issues affecting API women, please visit us at www.napawf.org.

Priscilla Huang is the Policy and Programs Director at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). NAPAWF works to advance social justice and human rights for APA women and girls, and is the only national multi-issue women of color organization in the country.

July 30, 2007

Anti-choice pharmacists sue over...having to do their job

Extremist anti-choice pharmacists are suing Washington state over a new regulation that requires them to sell emergency contraception. You know, do their job.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court Wednesday, a pharmacy owner and two pharmacists say the rule that took effect Thursday violates their civil rights by forcing them into choosing between "their livelihoods and their deeply held religious and moral beliefs."

"The stakes really couldn't be much higher," plaintiffs' attorney Kristen Waggoner said.

The state ruled earlier this year that druggists who believe emergency contraceptives are tantamount to abortion cannot stand in the way of a patient's right to the drugs.

This is just so upsetting. A woman's medical decisions are between her and her doctor--a pharmacist has no right to deny women access to medication.

March 21, 2007

CT legislator reveals rape in support of EC

I'm a bit late on this one, but it's worth reporting.

From Matt at My Left Nutmeg:

Connecticut State Rep. Deborah Heinrich (D-Madison) has been a strong advocate for emergency contraception for rape victims in Connecticut. Yesterday, in a press conference that preceded hearings on the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act, shared with the press and her colleagues that she had been a victim of rape and wanted to ensure that other rape victims would not have to live with the fear of pregnancy following rape because some hospitals refused to carry emergency contraception.

This was the first time that Heinrich had shared her story--with the publicly or her family. I'm pretty in awe of her bravery, I have to say.

Video news coverage of the story after the jump.

February 26, 2007

EC bill fails in South Dakota

A South Dakota bill, which would have required hospitals to tell rape victims about the availability of emergency contraception—that’s right, just tell women about it, not dispense it—failed last week.

Supporters of the bill tried unsuccessfully in the House Health and Human Services Committee to remove a "conscience clause" from the measure. That would let any health care provider or facility opt out of giving the information.

…The amendment to remove the conscience clause failed on a 6-7 vote, and another amendment that would let just doctors or other health care workers opt out also failed.

Rep. Mark Kirkeby, R-Rapid City, said, "In all honesty, with [the conscience clause] being in place in this bill, there's no sense in even having this bill.”

I’d say so.

January 30, 2007

Rape victim thrown in jail, denied EC

You've got to love a system that allows a rape survivor to be thrown in jail after reporting the assault.

A young woman was raped by a man who grabbed her as she was walking to her car from a local parade. After she called police and reported the crime, it was discovered that she had an arrest warrant out for her.

It was from an arrest when the woman was a juvenile and she was accused of not paying restitution. The woman says she was not aware there was a warrant out for her, and her attorney says it appears to be a paperwork error.

"They were more interested in prosecuting her for something that's a paperwork snafu from four years ago, that was juvenile. They were more interested in working on that than finding an experienced rapist," stated the victim's mother.

Still, the woman was put in handcuffs and taken to jail. She was not allowed bond, and the medical staff at the jail refused to give her the Morning After Pill even though it had been prescribed at the hospital.

Apparently the medical supervisor at the jail wouldn't allow her to take EC because it was against her religion.

"So, here we have a medical supervisor imposing her beliefs on a rape victim," said attorney Virlyn Moore. "As a human being, how someone could be so violated by this monster and then the system comes along and rapes her again psychologically and emotionally - it's outrageous and unconscionable."

The young woman was arrested on a Saturday, and wasn't able to leave jail until Monday afternoon. After being raped. Just sit on that one for a while. Unbelievable.

Via Feminists to the Rescue.

December 14, 2006

MA hospitals violating emergency contraception law

A survey by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts says that some hospitals are failing to offer EC to rape victims, as required by law.

The survey, which is due to be released today, indicated that officials at 7 percent of the hospitals with emergency rooms contend the provision for emergency contraception may be left to the doctor's discretion. Another 7 percent indicated that such provisions were contingent upon the woman undergoing a rape exam.

NARAL conducted the survey by having a rape counselor make mock calls on behalf of a fictitious rape survivor, asking if EC was available.

All nine Catholic hospitals surveyed said they offered emergency contraception "in some capacity" to rape victims, but 56 percent had serious limitations, according to the survey. The limitations include requiring a woman to undergo a rape examination and offering the contraception only at a doctor's discretion, [executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts Melissa] Kogut said.

Lovely.

Liza Sirota White of the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence said, "It is outrageous that a rape survivor seeking to prevent pregnancy would be forced to undergo a sexual assault evidence collection kit exam in order to receive treatment.”

Kogut added that the policies “are problematic because they leave open the possibility that a rape survivor may not have access to [emergency contraception] at a particular hospital…Women who have been raped should not have to worry about which hospital they go to.” No joke.

December 13, 2006

Over-the-counter Plan B: The First Month

It's been a month now that Plan B has been available without a prescription for women over 18 years old.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any stories about obtaining (or trying to obtain) EC since it became available over-the-counter. I'm especially curious because I've gotten several emails from women who were turned away by their pharmacist or straight up lied to about its over-the-counter status. One woman in Georgia who contacted me was even told by her pharmacist that even though the FDA approved OTC sale of Plan B, the state legislature now had to okay it. Not true.

So let's hear your stories about Plan B: the good, the bad, the ridiculous.

September 18, 2006

Ohio op-ed says give teens EC

Check out this op-ed in Ohio’s The Enquirer, Let teens use emergency contraception.

Becki Brenner, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood's Southwest Ohio Region, says that teens “need accurate information and timely access to a medication that will safely and easily protect them from childbearing at an early age.”

Yup. But what to do when conservative forces think that EC will make girls promiscuous? It’s ridiculous logic, but it’s something that resonates with parents. Thoughts?

August 29, 2006

I heart Vermont

Vermont teens will be able to get emergency contraception over-the-counter despite the FDA’s decision to only provide the drug to adults.

The FDA ruled on Thursday that Plan B, also known as "the morning-after pill," can be sold to women 18 and older without a prescription, but women 17 and younger must still get a doctor's prescription to get the drug.

Nancy Mosher, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, said Vermont legislation passed this year set up a third track for acquiring the drug, aside from getting a doctor's prescription or purchasing medicine over the counter.

The bill set up a "collaborative practice" process allowing pharmacists who receive special training to dispense Plan B to women without a prescription. Physicians would issue the pharmacists "standing orders" allowing them to dispense the medication to women who fill out a health screening questionnaire.

This means that that women in Vermont who are 18 or over can go with the FDA ruling allowing them to get EC over-the-counter, and women who are under 17 can just take advantage of this new law. So everybody wins.

And this is why I heart Vermont.

August 25, 2006

Listen Up

NPR had a segment yesterday on the FDA’s approval of over-the-counter access to emergency contraception.

Listen to it here.

August 24, 2006

Getting personal

Despite my disappointment about the whole age-limit thing, I just want to say that the news that EC would finally be available over-the-counter really just made my day. It’s so difficult sometime to do this work--in the face of all the opposition and bad science and bad politics. Days like this make it worthwhile. This is a huge win for women and our health.

If anyone wants to share thoughts on this fab news, please go for it in comments. We deserve some rejoicing every once in a while, after all!

EC will be available over-the-counter to women over 18

A victory for women, not so much for teens.

Women may buy the morning-after pill without a prescription -- but only with proof they're 18 or older, federal health officials ruled Thursday, capping a contentious 3-year effort to ease access to the emergency contraceptive.

Girls 17 and younger still will need a doctor's note to buy the pills, called Plan B, the Food and Drug Administration told manufacturer Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Lets remember that the drug has been proven safe for women of all ages, and that it’s young women who need easy to EC the most. But, enough with the negativity--we finally got an answer, and that’s something to be super happy about.

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, says “Finally, the FDA put sound science before politics and made this safe, effective birth-control option more accessible to women,” said Keenan. “The American public overwhelmingly supports increased access to the ‘morning-after’ pill as a way to prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion. “

And really, it’s about damn time.

August 15, 2006

Illinois Governor support EC without a prescription

Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced last week
that he’ll make EC available over-the-counter even if the FDA doesn’t.
“Plan B is a safe and tested form of emergency contraception, and women deserve access to it,” he said in a press release.

His opponent in the upcoming election, Republican Judy Baar Topinka, says she supports the sale of EC without a prescription--but only to women of a certain age. Yawn.

You may remember that Gov. Blagojevich has already shown support for EC by requiring pharmacists in his state to fill women’s prescriptions--even if their “conscience” doesn’t want them to. (You know, the kind of conscience that says premarital sex is for sluts.)

August 14, 2006

Plan B...but not for all of us

Ellen Goodman has a great column (shocker I know) up about the bittersweeet news that the FDA is set to approve over-the-counter sale of emergency contraception.

While it’s nice to finally have some movement on the issue, this doesn’t really feel like a win. Young women--perhaps the folks that need EC most--won’t have access.

August 8, 2006

Quick Hit: Editorial on EC

Check out this op-ed from The Philadelphia Inquirer on all of the FDA/EC madness.

Yeah it is--now why won’t someone do something about it!

August 3, 2006

Women unaware of emergency contraception

Ann at Feministing points to the somewhat shocking results of a survey about women's knowledge about emergency contraception:


* Only one in five women knows about EC.

* One-third of those women confuse Plan B with RU-486, the abortion pill.

* Less than 8 percent of women really understand how EC works and when it should be used.

Depressing, I know.

June 21, 2006

American women going to Canada for Plan B?

Sales of emergency contraception (Plan B) in Canada have doubled
since last year when the drug was made available over the counter. And
it’s looking like American women may be a driving force behind the sales spike.

Duramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. , Plan B's Canadian manufacturer , sold 23,000 pills to retail pharmacies in January 2005. Now, 41,000 pills are sold by Canadian pharmacies each month, according to figures released yesterday by DoctorSolve Healthcare Solutions , a company that sells drugs through its website.

...Judith Soo, a University of British Columbia assistant professor who is conducting an economic evaluation of emergency contraceptive use, said...“In Canada, women do not require a Plan B prescription from a physician to obtain treatment. It can be obtained directly upon request from a trained pharmacist...As many states border on Canadian provinces, it is likely that women obtain Plan B treatments by crossing the border or through Internet pharmacies. It is not possible to quantify this number.”

Women in the Southern states are also going to Mexico to get EC. Thanks, FDA. Way to make preventing unwanted pregnancies and abortion so easy.

June 8, 2006

Michigan bill would ban over-the-counter EC

This is some crazy shit. A bill in the Michigan house would ban over-the-counter availability to emergency contraception--even if the FDA approves it!

Preemptive anti-choicing...they are unbelievable.

June 5, 2006

Judge dismisses lawsuit by extremist pharmacist

Nothing like good news on a Monday.

A judge ruled last week that WalMart acted appropriately by firing a pharmacist who refused to serve clients seeking birth control. And it’s out favorite anti-choice pharmacist: Neil Noesen

Nice guy, huh? Excuse me if I don’t feel bad for him.

June 1, 2006

Oh, Rod...

How I love you sometimes. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who filed a rule last year that Illinois pharmacies “must accept and fill prescriptions for contraceptives without delay,” is taking further steps to stop extremist pharmacists.

Love it. Women deserve to know that they have the right to their birth control--it’s just sad that we need measures like these.

May 25, 2006

Medical journal urges US to increase EC access

The Lancet, a leading international medical journal, is calling on the FDA to stop trumping politics over science and allow over-the-counter access to EC.

Which of course, it isn’t. We’re still waiting, FDA....

May 12, 2006

Secret White House meeting on Plan B?

This is a whole truckload of crazy.

The White House has almost never consulted with the FDA during a drug approval process, but the Center for Reproductive Rights has found out about some shady business concerning Plan B and the Bush administration.

Yesterday, Bonnie Jones, an attorney for the reproductive rights group, told federal Magistrate Viktor Pohorelsky: "It has come to our attention that Mark McClellan at some point had a meeting with someone from the White House about Plan B." McClellan, now administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, worked as senior policy director for health care in the Bush White House in 2001 and 2002.

A copy of McClellan's appointment calendar while he was FDA commissioner contains an April 21, 2003 entry: "Conference call w/Jay Lefkowitz re: Plan B submis." The entry appears to refer to an application for non-prescription sales submitted to the FDA a few days earlier by Women's Capital Corp., which then owned Plan B. Barr Laboratories of Pomona, N.Y., later bought the company.

Lefkowitz, popular with conservative groups, is the former deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy and now serves as special envoy on human rights in North Korea.

Jones was in court trying to recover deleted FDA emails and permission to depose five FDA officials; Assistant U.S. Attorney Franklin Amanat asked Pohorelsky to block Jones’ request. Lester Crawford has also refused to deposed--his lawyer says he plans to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.

This is a pretty big deal. So why are we only seeing this story in New York Newsday?

May 9, 2006

Doctors support emergency contraception with new initiative

A new campaign sponsored by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is educating women on emergency contraception and urging them to obtain an advance prescription of the drug.

The goal is to encourage doctors to ask women of childbearing age if they would like an advance prescription for the morning-after pill "at every visit," said Dr. Douglas Laube, ACOG's president-elect and chair of the ob-gyn department at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. That way, if a woman has unprotected sex or contraception fails, she can take steps to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

Naturally, the campaign is catching a lot of flak from anti-choicers who call it “irresponsible.” But what could be more responsible than having a form of back-up birth control just in case?

ACOG President Michael T. Mennuti says, "With the Ask me. campaign, ACOG is stepping up our efforts to address this country's high rate of unintended pregnancy. Nearly half (49%) of the more than 6 million pregnancies that occur each year are unplanned...Family planning is an important issue for our specialty, and EC is an excellent contraceptive option for millions of women who want to prevent an unintended pregnancy."

Mennuit continued that the campaign is particularly important because of the accessibility problem with EC. Many women can’t get to their docs in time (EC has to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex) and women who don’t have insurance may not have a regular doctor.

The doctor-led initiative was created in response to the FDA’s continued trumping of politics over science.

"Many of us feel the FDA's actions have been unfair, unkind, unconscionable, unsafe and biased," said Dr. Iffath Hoskins, chair of the ob-gyn department at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Word.

April 17, 2006

Colorado Gov. vetoes over-the-counter EC

Nothing like starting off your morning with more repro rights restrictions! Sigh. Colorado Governor Bill Owens vetoed a measure last week that would have allowed over-the-counter access to emergency contraception.

His reasoning sounds oh-so-familiar to New Yorkers:

Owens said the bill would have allowed minors to get emergency contraception without permission from a parent.

“I believe it is irresponsible to allow minors to obtain emergency contraception without the counsel and guidance that could be provided by a doctor,” Owens said.

Sen. Betty Boyd, who was a sponsor of the measure, said she will try again next year to get the bill passed. Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald said, “It is a sad day for women in Colorado. This very conservatively measured approach has been denied to women and their protection against rape. This veto is not in step with the voters of Colorado. To deny women the ability to decide, for themselves, what is in the best interest of their own reproductive health, hurts them during what is already a difficult time in their life.”

April 6, 2006

I (may) heart NY

I love my home state for so many reasons...but its history with access to emergency contraception is making it more and more difficult.

After Gov. George Pataki’s veto last year of a bill that would have made EC available over-the-counter (so teens couldn’t get it, which made no sense), new legislation came out that was said to address the governor’s concerns.

But, of course, it looks like nothing is really going to change:

Blah. I thought NY was supposed to be ahead of the game on choice?

April 5, 2006

What a coincidence...I heart birth control, too!

Students from Ripon College in Wisconsin are selling “I heart birth control” shirts in response to anti-choice madness--the recent South Dakota abortion ban and a bill that would prohibit all University of Wisconsin campuses from dispensing emergency contraception. Love it.

Jordyn Rush, public relations chair for the Ripon Democrats and communications chair for the state party, is spearheading the shirts' sales on campus.

"What I've told a lot of people is that I agree with Bill Clinton's stance on [abortion]-that abortions need to be safe, legal and rare," says Rush. "If we promote birth control use then abortions will become more rare, but everyone still needs to have that option."

Rush hopes the shirts will increase the campus pro-choice message, one she feels has been voiced too softly this school year.

Good for them!

The proposed EC-ban comes from Rep. Daniel LeMahieu (Mr. Birth-Control-Makes-Girls-Whores) who started this nonsense after a UW-Madison health clinic ran ads in campus newspapers for emergency contraception.

April 3, 2006

Colorado EC bill goes to governor

The Senate in Colorado approved a measure last week that would allow over-the-counter access to emergency contraception--now it’s just just up to Gov. Bill Owens.

I like that the assumption is that young women will be the ones getting EC, but whatever. Let’s hope Owens does the right thing. Any folks from Colorado want to weigh in?

March 22, 2006

Acting FDA Commissioner speaks out

Andrew von Eschenbach, a Bush family friend who was nominated by the president to head the FDA, said this weekend that he hasn’t been ideologically "restrained or constrained" by the administration.

So he’s anti-choice all on his own? I guess only time will tell.

Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) still plan to place a hold on a confirmation vote because of the FDA’s continued nonsense on over-the-counter status of emergency contraception.

March 17, 2006

NH rejects parental consent for EC

Always nice to see some good news.

The New Hampshire Senate rejected a bill yesterday that would have required teens to get their parents’ consent before buying emergency contraception.

So basically, a crappy anti-choice bill.

Senator Maggie Hassan said, “We allow minors in this state to get medical treatment for things like sexually transmitted diseases without their parents' consent, because as important as a parent's right to be involved in a child's medical care is, what is more important is a child's right to safety and health.”

March 16, 2006

Bush picks new FDA chief

The FDA drama seems to be never-ending, doesn’t it?

President Bush nominated Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach to serve as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, but a dispute over the "morning after" contraceptive pill all but ensures that the nomination will go nowhere for months or even years.

A Bush family friend, Dr. von Eschenbach was appointed acting F.D.A. commissioner in September, when his predecessor abruptly resigned. He has led the National Cancer Institute since 2002 but now intends to resign from the institute, a spokeswoman said. With a nomination pending, Dr. von Eschenbach can lead the F.D.A. indefinitely.

Emphasis mine. I didn’t think it was possible to be any more pessimistic about the FDA and emergency contraception. Oh how wrong I was.

March 13, 2006

New Hampshire “conscience clause” bill defeated

More good news out of New Hampshire.

First the state provided training sessions for pharmacists that would enable them to prescribe emergency contraception over-the-counter. Now the state House has rejected a bill that would have provided legal protection for activist pharmacists who refused to dispense emergency contraception.

Liza Dube, political director for NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire said of the decision, “The greater the access to emergency contraception, the smaller the number of women facing unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion...When states limit access to emergency contraception by allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill valid prescriptions, more women risk facing unintended pregnancy and the difficult decisions that go along with it.”

March 10, 2006

New docs raise questions about FDA’s handling of EC

New documents obtained by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) reveal some pretty disturbing things about the FDA’s decision-making process on over-the-counter availability of emergency contraception.

The documents show that FDA policymakers had no problem with over-the-counter sales of EC in 2004, but that a year and a half later former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford brought up concerns about teens:

More to come as we get more info, but this is pretty interesting stuff...

March 3, 2006

Woo hoo! Wal-Mart will stock EC!

Wal-Mart has announced that all of its pharmacies will now stock emergency contraception. Unfortunately they won’t force pharmacists to dispense EC, but their policy says that pharmacists must refer clients to another pharmacy.

This is awesome news. By the way--NARAL Pro-Choice America supporters sent 31,176 petitions urging Wal-Mart to carry EC. Amazing.

Nancy Keenan said “Today's decision means the company is starting to get the message: Corporations should not decide what medicines women may or may not take.”

March 1, 2006

Over the counter EC in New York?

A new bill in New York could allow pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception without a prescription.

You may remember (if you’re from NY at least) that Gov. Pataki vetoed similar legislation last year because of a fear that younger women would have access to EC. Which was totally ass-backwards because there are no parental notification or consent laws in NY for abortion. So basically, a girl couldn’t prevent herself from getting pregnant, but she could terminate a pregnancy. Boggles the mind.

This new legislation is said to address most of Pataki’s concerns:

Pataki, a Republican who supports abortion rights, had said he wanted minors to see a physician first. He also said he wanted to limit the number of pills dispensed and to prohibit men from getting the pills to encourage unprotected sex.

...The amended legislation would allow pharmacists to dispense only a single dose at a time and only to women. Information about sexually transmitted diseases would also be made available and prescriptions could only be dispensed within the same county as the patient's residence. It does not set age limits.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

February 27, 2006

Emergency contraception battle takes to the states

The Washington Post has a great piece today on how the fight for access to EC is largely being fought on a state-level--mostly due to the inadequacy that is the FDA these days.

More than 60 bills concerning EC have already been filed in state legislature this year, some seeking to increase access and some seeking to limit it.

Shocking, I know.

Click here for a timeline of the FDA’s (non)action on emergency contraception and here for NARAL’s state profiles.

February 17, 2006

Dems call out FDA on Emergency Contraception

The FDA’s acting director Andrew Von Eschenbach denied accusations that politics were trumping science in the agency’s foot-dragging over EC. Yeah, right.

Von Eschenbach continued to make excuses for the FDA’s ridiculous actions. Click here for another take on the FDA’s priorities.

February 14, 2006

Breaking: Wal-Mart must stock emergency contraception

Love it. The Associated Press reports that Wal-Mart is now required to stock emergency contraception in Massachusetts. The decision--made by a state board that oversees pharmacies--comes after three women sued the company. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Via Broadsheet.

February 6, 2006

Catholic hospitals deny EC to NY women

A new study by Catholics for A Free Choice reports that New York rape victims are routinely denied access to emergency contraception.

A spokesperson from the State Health Department, Robert Kenny, said told the Albany Times Union that there were five complaints of hospitals denying access to EC last year.

Yeah--but imagine how many women don’t make complaints. This is terrible news; I’m particularly annoyed because NY is my home state. Sigh.

February 3, 2006

Vote in CNN poll on EC availability!

CNN is running a poll asking whether Wal-Mart should be required to stock emergency contraception. The poll is related to the recent suit brought by three Massachusetts women.

Go vote now!

February 2, 2006

Women sue Wal-Mart over EC

It’s about damn time. Three women in Massachusetts are suing Wal-Mart, saying the company doesn’t stock emergency contraception which they are required to do by state law.

The three women who brought the suit were all turned away from Wal-Mart when they tried to buy emergency contraception.

January 31, 2006

Target responds to pro-choicers

Good news!  After being inundated by pro-choice messages, Target now requires their pharmacists to sign a “conscience policy” agreeing to fill or refer prescriptions for emergency contraception.

Employees who refuse to sign are fired. 

Way to take action!

January 18, 2006

Kentucky women push for access to EC

The Associated Press reports that women’s rights groups in Kentucky are pushing lawmakers to allow for over-the-counter emergency contraception.

The women are also fighting back against extremist pharmacists who won’t fill prescriptions for emergency contraception.

I hope they're successful, but all the recent rollbacks have me all pessimistic as of late. Sigh.

January 13, 2006

Illinois pharmacist refuses to dispense EC, lies to woman about availability

Figured we could all use a little break from the Alito madness. (Not that this is much better.)

A nurse in West Peoria, Illinois has filed a complaint against a Walgreen pharmacist for violating a state rule requiring pharmacies to fill EC prescriptions.

This goes beyond a pharmacist refusing to dispense medication--this pharmacist lied to a customer. You may remember that earlier this year an Arizona pharmacist wrote into a newspaper about the EC controversy and recommended that pharmacists simply lie to women about having EC in stock. Is this becoming a commonly-used tactic of extremist pharmacists? (As BushvChoice pointed out before, it this kind of behavior doesn’t exactly keep in line with the pharmacist code to: "respect the autonomy and dignity of each patient" and "duty to tell the truth.")

December 22, 2005

ACLU: Bush administration won't explain silence on EC

You probably remember that the first-ever federal guidelines for treating victims of sexual assault--put out by the Justice Department--didn’t even mention emergency contraception.

Well, apparently the Bush administration doesn’t want to explain why.

The ACLU, representing a large number of other orgs, sent a Freedom of Information Act concerning the guidelines after they heard that information on EC was taken out of the final draft. What they got back was troubling--all the information sent to the ACLU talked in detail about EC, making it clear that a deliberate decision was made to keep this info out of the final guidelines.

December 21, 2005

Group sues to stop Illinois EC rule

The American Center for Law and Justice, founded by evangelist Pat Robertson, has filed a lawsuit to stop Illinois from requiring pharmacists to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception.

Grrr.

The rule, imposed by Governor Rod Blagojevich earlier this year, requires that pharmacies “must accept and fill prescriptions for contraceptives without delay.” Blagojevich also created a toll free number where women can report non-compliant pharmacies.

But the right-wing Christian organization is arguing that this violates pharmacists’ rights. (Women? Who are they?)

From the org’s website: Doctors, nurses and pharmacists should not be compelled to violate their conscience and participate in an abortion procedure.

Wow. I had no idea that women were looking for over-the-counter abortions! Please. (And don’t forget, a good number of these “conscience clause” pharmacists actually refused to fill prescriptions for birth control, not just emergency contraception.)

December 19, 2005

NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico takes on pharmacists

New Mexico is one of eight sates that allow over-the-counter status of emergency contraception, but pharmacists are allowed to refuse to fill EC prescriptions. Ah, the bullshit of it all.

Giovanna Rossi, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico, says that the state requires pharmacists who have objections to EC to refer clients to another store. But shocker--this doesn’t always happen.

Rossi said, “The problem is that we're finding that referrals are not being given on a consistent basis..."We're finding problems with the process, and we're looking into different ways we can address that.”

To address the problem, NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico is investigating “a requirement that pharmacists who won't fill the prescription place signs in their windows with directions to the nearest pharmacy that will,” reports The Albuquerque Tribune.

Who knew a simple trip to the local pharmacy could turn into such a goddamn circus?

December 12, 2005

Props to New Hampshire!

This weekend in New Hampshire about 200 pharmacists started training sessions that would enable them to prescribe emergency contraception over-the-counter. Woo hoo!

The state passed a law six months ago allowing emergency contraception to be sold over-the-counter by specially trained pharmacists; once these pharmacists complete their training, they need to partner with a nurse or doctor to complete the requirements.

Pro-choice organizations are hoping that EC will be more accessible as soon as next month.

Pharmacist Maureen Adams says, “There's a real need in the community...The earlier they receive it, the more effective it is. The pharmacy is the first link.”

Word.

December 9, 2005

Romney changes position on EC; requires all hospitals to provide to rape victims

Wow. I didn’t see this one coming.

Interesting. After all his back and forth on emergency contraception recently, I never would have thought he would do the right thing. Because damn was that requirement needed--a 2004 report by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts showed that a dozen Bay State hospitals that treat rape victims didn’t provide emergency contraception.

Whether Romney is a flip flopper or not doesn’t really concern me; I’m just pleased as punch that women in Massachusetts have a bit more choice today than they did yesterday.

December 8, 2005

Send a timer to the FDA!

What better way to tell them that time is up on Plan B?

This is great. The FDA has been delaying on emergency contraception’s over the counter status for four years--enough is enough.

Make a gift to support a woman's right to choose today, and we'll send a timer to FDA headquarters for every $10 raised.

If only we could throw the timers at them...

December 5, 2005

Missouri pharmacists placed on leave for refusing to fill prescriptions

From the Associated Press:

Good for Walgreen--someone needs to hold these pharmacists responsible for their actions. They’re supposed to dispense medication, not politics.

November 21, 2005

Head of FDA’s Office Of Women's Health to start next month

After quite the controversy, the FDA seems to have finally gotten their act together regarding the new head of the agency’s Office of Women’s Health. After Susan Wood resigned in protest over the FDA’s trumping of politics over science in its decision process concerning Plan B, the agency first announced the position would go to Norris Alderson--a man trained as a veterinarian.

Understandably, women weren’t too pleased. The FDA then said that they had never announced anything about Alderson, despite the fact that an email announcing his appointment was sent to several women’s groups and that he was listed on a Health and Human Services directory as the acting director of the office. Mysterious stuff. Theresa A. Toigo, a 20-year veteran of the FDA, was then made acting director.

It seems that the FDA has finally made a decision as to who will take over the position permanently--Kathleen Uhl, who was most recently the supervisory medical officer in FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

I don’t know much about Uhl, but was glad to see that she had the support of Susan Wood:

Let’s hope she can bring some much-needed common sense and logic to an agency that seems to have anything but these days.

November 18, 2005

Keeping it real

I love love love this Chicago tribune editorial, The FDA's fiasco.

It’s about time someone talked some sense.

Make sure to read the whole thing--it’s a doozy.

November 15, 2005

Lawmakers respond to GAO report

Thankfully, there was some action yesterday after the oh-so-shocking-news that the FDA didn’t for usual procedure in considering emergency contraception for over the counter status.

Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) and 17 other lawmakers signed a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt saying that they were “deeply opposed to this subversion of science.”

The New York Times reports that in addition, Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) issued a statement saying the Plan B mess “was a politically motivated decision that came down from the highest levels at the F.D.A.”

Well, duh.

November 14, 2005

The FDA is out to lunch

Love it.

NARAL Pro-Choice America just launched a “timer” clock to keep track of how frigging long the FDA has refused to act on Plan B’s over-the-counter status.

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said “The clock is ticking on women’s patience in this country. The new GAO report’s revelations of political interference are the latest example of the Bush administration’s FDA putting politics before women’s health.”

Government Accountability Office reviews the FDA

And they’re wondering about the same things we are.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has just issued a report, "Decision Process to Deny Initial Application for Over-the-Counter Marketing of the Emergency Contraceptive Plan B Was Unusual." Ya think?

The report focuses on several different aspects of the FDA’s review process and notes that they were all out of the ordinary. Politics trumping science--you gotta love it.

Just a snippet from the overview:

Translation: What the hell were these people doing?

November 10, 2005

Shocker: FDA continues to stall

I know I should have seen this coming, but the constant put-offs are getting so tired:

And to devise an evil genius plan to stall yet again, I’m sure...

November 7, 2005

Forcing the FDA to take action

Love this. Four members of Congress introduced a bill on Thursday to force the FDA to decide whether EC can be sold without a prescription.

Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) sponsored the bill, which would automatically make emergency contraception available forover-the-counter sale 30 days after the bill's passage, until the FDA make a decision.

But of course, not all women would have access--women under 17 wouldn’t be able to buy EC without a prescription. You know, cause much better that teens get an abortion than prevent an unwanted pregnancy. Sigh.

October 24, 2005

Good news for women in Alaska

The Anchorage Daily News reports that the State Medical Board finally voted down a proposal last week that would have impeded access to emergency contraception by requiring a doctor’s appointment before obtaining EC.

Yay for Alaska! I needed something like this to put me in a better mood...

Arizona rape victim denied EC

When it comes to emergency contraception, we need to remember that the political issues surrounding pharmacists and conscience clause laws affect women’s lives. It’s too easy to get caught up in discussions of legislation and politics--but this is about women.

This story out of Arizona is a good reminder of why we must ensure that women have access to emergency contraception:

October 6, 2005

Cheers!

Women’s eNews features Illinois Judge John Belz in their Cheers and Jeers section (he’s in the Cheers), and I couldn’t agree more:

Kudos to Judge Belz!

Another FDA resignation over EC

I wonder when they’ll get the hint. Jeez.

The Hartford Courant reports that in addition to Susan Wood, Dr. Frank Davidoff--former member of the FDA's Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee--has also resigned over the agency’s stalling on emergency contraception:

Davidoff notes in the article that the opposition to emergency contraception doesn’t really make much sense: “I keep trying to think about the opposition that came in after we voted on Plan B...Why would you oppose a pill that could dramatically cut back on abortions? It makes absolutely no sense.”

Make sure to check out the whole piece; it’s gives a good background of the whole issue.

September 30, 2005

What do you know...

Yesterday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. Not a good thing.

But...he also signed a measure to ensure that pharmacists can’t deny women emergency contraception. A very good thing!

I’m not exactly a fan of Schwarzenegger (as an actor or a politician), but I’ll take my victories where I can get them!

September 26, 2005

FDA Chief resigns; future of EC unknown

As many of you probably already know, Lester Crawford resigned last week as commissioner of the FDA. Now all that remains to be seen is if the FDA will continue to put politics above science.

Nancy Keenan noted that the resignation could serve as an opportunity for the FDA to rebuild its credibility and move forward to make emergency contraception available over the counter.

"Mr. Crawford's departure must not be used as an excuse for the FDA to continue to delay a decision on whether women will have over-the-counter access to the morning after pill...Crawford’s tenure is marred by the FDA’s failure to follow the recommendations of its scientific and medical advisory panels. The agency’s political leadership failed to take the opportunity to improve women's access to emergency contraception, which could prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce the need for abortion."

September 1, 2005

Quick hits: Coverage of FDA resignation

Check out all the media coverage of Susan Wood’s resignation from the FDA...maybe they’ll take a hint.

USA Today: FDA official quits over Plan B pill delay

LA Times: Women's Health Chief Quits FDA Over Delays on 'Morning After' Pill

The New York Times: Official Quits on Pill Delay at the F.D.A.

Associated Press: FDA Official Quits Over Plan B Pill Delay

Groups request sexual assault guidelines

This week, the American Civil Liberties Union, along with NARAL and other repro rights groups, filed a Freedom of Information Act request related to the national sexual assault guidelines BushvChoice told you about some time ago.

These guidelines are the first-ever national model explaining post-sexual assault medical care, and they don’t include any reference to emergency contraception.

Yeah, I know—it’s insane.

"It is time for the Department of Justice to be accountable for refusing to do everything it can to protect sexual assault survivors from unintended pregnancy," said Louise Melling of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.

The most important things for a survivor of sexual assault are to regain control and know all her options. Anything else is just wrong.

August 31, 2005

FDA Director of Women's Health resigns

Hmmm...I wonder why. Susan Wood, Director of the Office of Women’s Health and Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health, sent around the following email to her friends and colleagues:

I regret to tell you that I am leaving the FDA, and will no longer be serving as the Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health and Director of the FDA Office of Women's Health. The recent decision announced by the Commissioner about emergency contraception, which continues to limit women's access to a product that would reduce unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions is contrary to my core commitment to improving and advancing women's health. I have spent the last 15 years working to ensure that science informs good health policy decisions. I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for approval by the professional staff here, has been overuled. I therefore have submitted my resignation effective today.

I will greatly miss working with such an outstanding group of scientists, clinicians and support staff. FDA's staff is of the highest caliber and it has been a priviledge to work with you all. I hope to have future opportunities to work with you in a different capacity.

Sincerely,

Susan

Kudos to her for taking a stand, but this still just makes me sad. I wonder what other fallout there will be over this...

August 30, 2005

FDA Coverage

Check out some of the latest coverage on the EC/FDA craziness:

The New York Times: Morning-After Pill: Politics and the F.D.A.

Los Angeles Times: FDA Delays Ruling on 'Morning After' Contraceptive

USA Today: FDA abandons its standards

Bloomberg: FDA Delays Decision on Barr's `Morning After' Pill

Reuters: Regulators delay decision on Barr's 'morning after' pill

Associated Press: FDA Delays Decision on Morning-After Pill

CNN: Morning after pill will have to wait

NPR: Age Issues Delay FDA Ruling on 'Plan B' Pill

August 29, 2005

USA Today says FDA has abandoned its standards

In a Sunday editorial, USA Today blasted the FDA for yet another delay on Plan B.

The editorial also points out that recent studies show increased access to EC doesn’t lead to riskier sexual behavior by teens. So there goes the whole what-if-teens-get-it argument.

Emergency contraception is already available in seven states over-the-counter (with no age restrictions). Of course, the problem of extremist pharmacists remains.

The fact that we’re still waiting for something so simple--and something that will curb the number of unintended pregnancies--is ridiculous.

Take action now.

August 26, 2005

Bushie breaks promise: FDA delays decision on emergency contraception

You have got to be kidding me.

From the Associated Press:

Um, how about you don’t? Young women are the women who need EC the most.

President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, Nancy Keenan, had this to say:

“The Bush administration has broken its promise to the U.S. Senate and the American people to make this decision, after more than two years of stalling. FDA’s delay flies in the face of an American majority that believes more should be done to reduce unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. Scientists, doctors, and Americans across the political spectrum support giving women, especially survivors of sexual assault, better access to the morning-after pill to prevent unintended pregnancies.”

Because, really--isn’t that what we all want?

August 25, 2005

Stop stalling on Plan B

Check out this editorial from Wisconsin’s The Capital Times, Quit stalling on Plan B. Love it.

Make sure to read the whole thing. And then go take action.

August 19, 2005

Over-the-counter EC in New Hampshire awaits compliance

This is annoying. You get a state law that allows pharmacists to dispense EC over-the-counter, but no one does it!

Ugh. I understand folks are waiting for the FDA decision, but women need access to EC now. Another downer--pharmacists don’t have to dispense it if they don’t want to. That’s right, it’s our old friend the so-called conscience-clause. Sigh.

August 16, 2005

Illinois pharmacists must fill prescriptions for EC

It’s pretty sad that we need to force some pharmacists to do their jobs, but at least the women of Illinois can rest a little easier:

One problem? Pharmacies that don’t fill prescriptions for any kind of contraception--like the birth control pill--don’t have to abide by the rule. So pharmacies can get around this simply by refusing to carry any contraception! (I wonder if condoms count...)

August 9, 2005

Over-the-counter access for EC on the way?

From the Associated Press:

Check out the whole article for what could happen if the FDA does approve Plan B for over-the-counter. (Keeping my fingers crossed...)

August 2, 2005

Pataki's veto angers both sides of debate

Guess he should rethink that presidential run...

Pataki’s veto seems to have pissed off everyone, but for different reasons of course:

Democrats and Republicans on Monday began a fierce attack on Gov. George E. Pataki's decision to veto a bill that would make the so-called morning-after pill available without a prescription and raised doubts about whether the legislation could be revived.

The criticism came a day after aides to Mr. Pataki said he would oppose the measure because it did not include any provisions that would prevent minors from having access to the drug. Mr. Pataki's aides said the governor would reconsider the measure if the Legislature made amendments to the bill that addressed his concerns

But Mr. Pataki's critics inside and outside the State Legislature sharply questioned the governor's motives, noting his long support for reproductive rights and suggesting that he was altering his position to win favor with national conservatives as he prepares for a possible bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

...If Mr. Pataki was hoping to win over national conservatives with his stand, he may have to think again. Connie Mackey, vice president for government affairs at the Family Research Council, a prominent national conservative group, said the governor had not gone far enough in arguing that the bill's main flaw was that it made the drug available to minors.

Sorry, George. Looks like you lost out on this one, huh?

August 1, 2005

Thank god we don't have to pretend we're in this to save babies anymore

In reality, what contraception does for college age women is leads to getting that diploma without being encumbered by child-bearing. Perhaps that is what's really pissing off the legislators who passed this. After all, we have Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum cruising around the talk show circuit right now making it clear that he dislikes birth control precisely because it gives women the ability to limit their child-bearing so that they can have careers and lives outside of the home. The mask is coming off the "pro-life" movement and their real anti-woman goals are becoming easy to see.

Speaking of Santorum, I was thinking over that funny moment in his interview with George Stephanopaulos where he couldn't cough up the name of one "radical feminist" (Santorum is one of those conservatives who has almost surely never said the word "feminist" without the adjective "radical" attached to it) besides Gloria Steinam. We all laughed at how stupid Santorum is to write a book where he bitches and moans about the feminist movement when he doesn't know jack shit about it. All he knows is that women use birth control, get jobs, choose not to marry if they'd like or choose to divorce if their marriages aren't working out for them, and that pisses him off.

And then it occured to me that since Santorum was most likely thinking of the ordinary, non-activist women of this country, many of whom don't even refer to themselves as feminists, then that probably means that the beloved term "radical feminist" is one of those infamous conservative code words. I thought it meant any feminist at all, but now that I think about it, Santorum probably thinks any woman who doesn't eschew work in order to marry and pump out kid after kid is a radical feminist. Which is to say, the majority of women in this country.

Pataki and Romney play games with women's lives

By Echidne of the Snakes.

Did you know that Governor Pataki of New York is planning to run for president in 2008?  Or that Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts has similar plans?  What else do these to Governors have in common?  They are both Republicans and they are both willing to play games with women's health and lives for political gain.

For such games have a great reward for them: the support of right-wing fundamentalists.  In this case the issue is whether the so-called morning-after pill should be available without prescription.  Pataki and Romney, together with most of the wingnuts, think that this contraceptive should not be available over the counter.  Why?  Well,  Pataki mumbles something about possible side-effects among young women, but here is the real answer:

The pill, which has been shown to be effective at preventing pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, has been at the center of a national debate. It is classified as a contraceptive and acts in most cases by preventing ovulation or fertilization. Because it may also prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus, it has also become a flashpoint in the debate over abortion.

Never mind that proponents of the pill think its availability over-the-counter could prevent 80,000 abortions per year in New York state.  Never mind that there are no actual studies which would measure how likely it is that the fertilized egg can't implant in the uterus when the pill is taken.  Never mind that trying to avoid such extremely unlikely "abortions" will result in many more real ones.  Never mind any of this, it's only women's issues, and as we all know real politics is about something quite different.

But it is still about women's lives. 

July 28, 2005

Alaska puts off EC decision

Alaska is one of eight states where emergency contraception has over-the-counter status, yet that could all change.

The Alaska State Medical Board has recently proposed a change that would require women to have a prescription for EC, limiting its access.  The proposal caused quite the uproar, with hundreds of letters being sent from around the state by concerned doctors, pharmacists, legislators and citizens.

Rep. Eric Croft of Anchorage wrote that the cost of a doctor’s exam would put an undue burden on some women.  (Not to mention put a delay on how quickly women could access EC.)

In light of the strong responses, the board has put off a vote until September (the original deadline was July 11).  We’ll keep you updated on this one.  Any Alaskans out there want to weigh in?

July 27, 2005

Quick Hit: Vaginal EC on the way

A new study shows that administering emergency contraception vaginally--rather than orally--is just as effective and may reduce levels of nausea and vomiting.

Sounds a little weird, I know...but the more options women have, the better.