Women's Health Update

An Emergency Contraception Victory

After a three-year battle, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally approved Plan B, the emergency contraception that can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, for over-the-counter sale to women ages 18 and older.

Health experts applauded the FDA ruling, saying it could help reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and abortions in the United States. But many advocates are still unsatisfied. The FDA imposed a “scientifically baseless restriction” against giving younger women the same OTC access to the drug, says Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, noting that there is no evidence that emergency contraception (EC) is unsafe for teens. “Anything that makes it harder for teenagers to avoid unintended pregnancy is bad medicine and bad public policy,” she says. Planned Parenthood and other groups will push for universal OTC access, and the Center for Reproductive Rights intends to continue its lawsuit against the FDA for the “unlawful” and “intricate coverup” the organization alleges took place at the agency during the prolonged Plan B review process. But the news is largely good for women: The manufacturer hopes to have Plan B on store shelves by the end of this year.

Pharmacists May Refuse to Fill Birth Control Prescriptions

Women under age 18 will still need a prescription from a doctor to get Plan B, and even then some may not be able to get the drug. Why? Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and South Dakota have passed laws that allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for EC or even traditional birth control pills. Legislators in other states, however, are fighting the “conscience clause” movement. In May, Nevada joined California, Illinois, Maine and Massachusetts in enacting laws or policies that require pharmacy employees to fill any legal prescription. (A similar federal law, the Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act, is languishing in Congress.)

Perhaps most horrifying, rape victims still may not have easy access to EC. The Department of Justice has yet to revise its rape treatment guidelines to reflect the medical consensus that all victims of sexual assault should be offered EC in the hospital. The result: Traumatized women will have to search on their own for a pharmacy that stocks the medication.

Medical Breakthrough: The HPV Vaccine

Even though some conservatives voiced objections about the vaccine that protects against HPV (the STD that can cause cervical cancer), the FDA relied on overwhelming scientific evidence when it approved Gardasil on June 8. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later recommended that young women ages 9 to 26 get the vaccine, and experts say the three-shot series could save thousands of lives. (See Glamour’s November issue for info on whether you should get the HPV vaccine.)

A Continued Push for Abstinence-Only Sex Education

As in past years, the federal government will spend an estimated $50 million in 2006 to finance abstinence-only sex education, despite the fact that experts say such programs can lead to higher rates of teen pregnancy and STD transmission. Meanwhile legislators who have pushed for more comprehensive sex ed have faced a severe backlash. When New Mexico’s state health secretary, Michelle Lujan Grisham, tried to restrict abstinence-only sex ed to children in lower grades while teaching complete sex ed courses, including contraception, to older students, the federal government threatened to strip the state of federal funding.

More Lies About Abortion and Breast Cancer

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, abortion foes are still insisting that abortion causes breast cancer. This summer a congressional report requested by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) found that federally funded “pregnancy resource centers” gave women completely false information that abortion can raise the risk of breast cancer. (Read a report from Rep. Waxman here.) In fact, according to groups including the American Cancer Society, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization, there is no link between abortion and breast cancer.