The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday that it approved the over-the-counter sale of the emergency contraceptive pill, better known as the 'morning after' pill, to women 18 years or older.
Many University organizations, including VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood, praised the decision as "a huge step" in preventing unplanned pregnancies. However, VOX President Stephanie Shaw said she believes the FDA's announcement is not a huge development in this ongoing debate regarding the use of emergency contraceptives.
"We're not 100 percent good," she said. "Ideally, [VOX] would like this preventative measure to be available to all women sexually active under or over 18. I think if you are going to make the decision to be sexually active, you need to have access to all resources to cope with unexpected things like a condom breaking or forgetting to use your normal birth control."
However, some feel that age limitation on the pill is necessary because its consequences have not been tested in women under the age of 18.
"I'm definitely glad the FDA waited to agree to an 18 years cutoff because I read they originally wanted a 16-year-old cutoff," said Amber VerValin, the chair of the University's College Republicans. "I think it is definitely a safety issue and they wanted to do further studies to see if girls under 18 could use the product safely."
However, some claim that any use of emergency contraception or birth control is hazardous. Rob Schneider, the executive director of the Charlottesville Pregnancy Center in Charlottesville,which encourages abstinence, expressed skepticism over the health issues with the pill and the enforcement of the age limitation.
"It's a very high dosage of birth control, like taking 10 pills at one time," Schneider said. "I'd be very concerned about the effects it could have on young 15- and 16-year-olds."
Schneider likened the acquiring of emergency contraceptives by underage individuals to underage drinking.
They could "get an older sibling to buy it for them," he said. "It will be in the hands of the kids easily."
Christine M. Peterson of the University Medical Center said the pill is "100 percent safe" for women 18 years of age or older.
"The FDA would not have approved the drug unless it had been medically tested," Peterson said.
However, Becky Reid, organizer of the Planned Parenthood chapter of Blue Ridge, emphasized the importance of this drug. Reid cited a study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine that further examined the sexual tendencies of women who had access to emergency contraceptives and concluded that it did not lead to more risky sexual behaviors.
"The study found that women who had access to emergency contraceptives [said] they use it responsibly and do not rely on it as a regular contraceptive method, and do not put themselves at increased risk for unprotected sex," Reid said. "Women who had emergency contraceptives at home had few unintended pregnancies."
The University pharmacy is planning to sell the pill to students above the age of 18 over the counter as soon as the manufacturing company releases the drug. All students under 18 will require a doctor's prescription for the drug.
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