Bad news for conservatives
Apparently the FDA in the states is currently considering whether or not to approve Plan B, an emergency contraceptive known to decrease risk of pregnancy after unprotected sex, may be moved to Over-The-Counter status, meaning a perscription would not be needed to obtain it. This comes after many debates surfaced in recent years as to whether doctors should be allowed to disallow the perscription in the states.
There does lie a question in the motivations of the FDA. Is it based off political reasons or health reasons? One of the main reasons that it's been taking oh-so-long for the FDA to approve this is because they've had stringent policies about the potential health hazards of over-the-counter medication of any kind. So are they reacting out of political or health reasons?
I see this as bittersweet. Good, because it will make emergency contraception more available to rape victims and in the case of a condom breaking, but bad because some people may simply see it as a replacement for using actual regular birth control and simply abuse it as such.
What is your opinion? Really, I'm for it because I feel the former weighs heavier in my mind than the latter. The potential to abuse the use of any drug exists regardless of its purpose, but I'd rather that people were given the choice. Abuse of any drug can happen regardless of whether it is available over the counter.
Jul 31, 06
