The morning-after pill may now be easier to obtain, courtesy of a bill before the General Assembly.
House Bill 2782 would enable pharmacists to dispense the emergency contraceptive to women. It also would permit nurse practitioners, physician assistants and physicians to provide the contraceptive at any time.
Now the morning-after pill only can be administered by a physician.
Women can use the pill to prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation or fertilization or by preventing a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus. The emergency contraceptive has been around as long as the birth control pill.
The local Planned Parenthood clinic dispenses the morning after pill about 30 times a month, said Rosanne Welker, community educator at Blue Ridge Planned Parenthood.
The pill usually has a 75-90 percent success rate.
One of the bill's sponsors, Del. Panny Rhodes (R-Richmond), said it will help people looking to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
It is preventive medicine for various ages, not just teenagers, Rhodes said. "A lot of times, it is used by older women that have birth control methods that fail," she said.
The bill, which passed the House by a 53-40 margin, is now being discussed before the Senate.
Del. Bob Marshall (D-Manassas) said the pill is morally wrong. He cited embryological definitions, claiming pregnancy begins at the time fertilization occurs.
However, Welker said eggs often are not fertilized by the time patients take the morning-after pill, and pregnancy does not actually occur until after the egg attaches to wall of the uterus. After the egg has attached, the morning-after pill has no affect.
Del. Mitch Van Yahres (D-Charlottesville) supports the bill, saying it will decrease unwanted pregnancy. He does not see the pill as increasing sexual promiscuity.
Although the bill will not make the morning-after pill available over the counter, there is a national movement to make it available without a prescription.
Welker and Planned Parenthood consider the bill a positive move. "Widespread usage of emergency contraceptives could prevent approximately 1.7 million unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions by 800,000," Welker said.
The primary sponsor of the bill, Del. Viola Baskerville (D-Richmond), could not be reached for comment.
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