In this illustration, the PlanB one-step emergency contraceptive is on display on June 30, 2022 in San Anselmo, California.
Justin Sullivan | beautiful pictures
The Food and Drug Administration is changing the packaging of the emergency contraceptive pill, Plan B One-Step, to make it clear that it is not an abortion pill. federal agency announced Friday.
Plan B is an over-the-counter medication that can be used as a backup birth control method to reduce your chances of getting pregnant after having unprotected sex. The agency says if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure, Plan B will work by preventing or delaying the release of an egg from the ovary. eggs, not by abortion.
“Plan B One Step won’t work if one is already pregnant, which means it won’t affect an existing pregnancy,” FDA said in a release. “Evidence does not demonstrate that the drug affects implantation or maintenance of pregnancy after implantation, so it does not terminate pregnancy.”
To date, the packaging for Plan B and generic versions of the drug has falsely claimed that taking the pill can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting. Medical experts say this statement is not supported by scientific evidence but was included in the label for approval of Plan B’s over-the-counter status.
As a result, the FDA revised the information leaflets in Plan B’s packaging to reflect that it does not work after fertilization, the agency said.
United States Supreme Court reverse the constitutional right to abortion in June, raising concerns about continued access to contraceptives and emergency contraception. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said landmark high court rulings establishing gay rights and contraception should be reconsidered because federal abortion rights have been revoked.
At least eight states immediately ban all forms of abortion, including medical abortion by pillwithin hours of the high court’s decision.
The FDA says that because Plan B prevents pregnancy by affecting ovulation, “very well before implantation,” it does not cause miscarriage.
The agency recommends that consumers talk to their doctors about emergency contraception so they understand “the importance of using these products as intended.”
