I’ve always heard of “drive-through banking” and “drive-through restaurants,” but imagine my bewilderment last week when I heard the term “drive-through abortions.”
As of April 22, the government decided not to appeal a federal court order that instructed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to permit the manufacturer of the emergency contraceptive Plan B to make the drug available to 17-year-old women without a prescription. Previously, only women 18 and older could obtain the drug over the counter.
Despite support from some groups, others are presenting intense claims against the decision. Rather than decry everything that doesn’t correspond with my personal beliefs and practices, I support any move toward reducing the number of unexpected pregnancies among teenagers.
One of the more extreme attacks on the decision is that teenagers can now take a trip to their nearest drive-through pharmacy to pick up a magazine, cough syrup and an abortion.
According to the FDA’s Web site, Plan B works like regular birth control and prevents pregnancy “mainly by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary. It is possible that Plan B may also work by preventing fertilization of an egg (the uniting of sperm with the egg) or by preventing attachment (implantation) to the uterus (womb), which usually occurs beginning seven days after release of an egg from the ovary.” Plan B prevents these steps from occurring when taken as soon as possible within 72 hours after intercourse.
I’m no biology student, but I know that means Plan B will have no effect on an already conceived and established pregnancy. Sure enough, the FDA concludes, “Plan B will not do anything to a fertilized egg already attached to the uterus. The pregnancy will continue.” The drug is not terminating a pregnancy; it is preventing one that could happen and is therefore not equivalent to an abortion.
Another complaint contends that 17-year-olds will be seized with the urge to have wild sexual escapades because they know that they can get the drug without hassle the next day.
Oh, please.
When I turned 18, I didn’t start having random hookups with guys at UCLA because I could have grabbed some free contraceptives afterward.
Access to Plan B is not a new incentive to have sex. I hate to break it to you, but most teenagers who want to have sex already do, and they have been long before this decision. The availability of an over-the-counter emergency contraceptive promotes a way to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. It does not advocate for one.
However, the insistence that parents have a right to know what health care their underage children are receiving is something that I agree with. Parents and their kids should have open communication with each other, especially when medical issues are involved.
If a 17-year-old had that sort of communication with a parent, then they wouldn’t need Plan B. They would have talked to their parents about their options ““ from abstinence to birth control ““ beforehand, instead of sneaking behind their backs to the pharmacy counter.
But not every teenager can do this. So those without that happy dynamic or who live in a less-than-ideal home environment can get Plan B and prevent any unexpected additions to the family.
What happens to a 17-year-old who wakes up the morning after and doesn’t have access to Plan B? This scared and unprepared teenager is expected to leave school and find a way to support her child. She may need to apply for government welfare programs. Or two months might pass before she chooses to have an actual abortion.
And if a baby is born, then it risks being raised in an imperfect environment without the best care.
Plan B will help keep these sorts of situations from happening.
Women who use it can avoid an unplanned pregnancy. They can freely continue their education, one that may provide resources to help end their need for over-the-counter contraceptives in the future. They can mature, go to college, and use their degree to find the job that will support themselves and a family.
And instead of being raised by an unprepared parent, more children will have the chance at a more stable lifestyle.
It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks is right or wrong. What matters is what a 17-year-old thinks is the appropriate choice for them in their unexpected situation.
And with the choice between an accidental pregnancy or Plan B, I will not fault a single teenager who decides to go to the pharmacy after other contraceptives fail the night before.
E-mail Louth at klouth@media.ucla.edu.