August 27, 2005
Morning After Pill
:On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that instead of making a decision on making the so-called ‘morning after pill’ available over-the-counter by their September 1st deadline, they would be asking for a 60-day period of public comment. The ‘morning after pill’, which is available by prescription, can be used to interrupt the process of fertilization of a women within 24 hours after a sexual encounter. The FDA was wise to give an opportunity for public comment of such a political drug. But in the end, this drug should be available over the counter.
The FDA has ruled it is safe for anyone over the age of seventeen and that it performs as expected, which is about all the FDA should do in its investigation. Political opponents of the drug charge that it is another form of abortion and that it promotes risky behavior. Both arguments are ridiculous. Preventing pregnancies to begin with is much different morally than ‘ending’ any form of life. Meanwhile, ‘our children’ are already participating in many forms of risky behavior. One more product on the market, to help protect women from having their lives radically altered, will not encourage more sexual openness among teenagers. The only fear with this drug is that women rely on this product and not on condoms that can also protect sexually transmitted diseases. But that should not stop this pill from going to market and also an increase in education about the risks of unprotected sex.