Plan B

Emergency Contraception for Women of All Ages

DeVry University

Emergency Contraception for Women of All Ages

Imagine being a woman alone, scared and wondering if after last night’s events could result in an unwanted pregnancy. In 2013 over half of pregnancies within the United States were not planned. Studies show in 2013 that 20% of all pregnancies were unwanted, 31% were unintended and 49% were intended. What is a woman to do if she falls within the remaining 51% of unplanned pregnancies? Emergency contraception known as Plan B is a pill that can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex or contraception failure. Unplanned pregnancies can be avoided, costly and result in different economic and social consequences. Unfortunately due to lack of knowledge about Plan B many people are misinformed and form misguided opinions about the product.

Emergency contraception has always been a controversial subject since it first became available by prescription and administered at emergency rooms and family clinics in 1999. Later in 2006 Plan B became available over the counter for women 17 years of age and older but adolescent teenagers would still require a prescription. It has been argued since that emergency contraception should be available to women of all ages without prescription while others believe that by allowing teenage girl’s access to Plan B that it promotes promiscuity and unprotected sex. USA Today quoted, “Critics of the drug challenge those claims, arguing that Plan B instead will promote promiscuity and unsafe sex; they warn that men might coerce their underage sexual partners into using it.” There has been several studies since that indicate that there is no proof of teenagers becoming more sexually active solely because they have access to Plan B. Reuters (2012) explained, "2010 analysis of seven randomized studies of emergency contraception found that having a morning-after prescription in hand did not increase teens'...