About this site
About us
Our beliefs
Your first visit?
Contact us
External links
Good books
Visitor essays
Our forum
New essays
Other site features
Buy a CD
Vital notes

World religions
BUDDHISM
 
CHRISTIANITY
Who is a Christian?
Shared beliefs
Handle change
Bible topics
Bible inerrancy
Bible harmony
Interpret Bible
Persons
Beliefs, creeds
Da Vinci code
Revelation, 666
Denominations
 
HINDUISM
ISLAM
JUDAISM
WICCA / WITCHCRAFT
Other religions
Cults and NRMs
Comparing religions

Non-theistic...
Atheism
Agnosticism
Humanism
Other

About all religions
Important topics
Basic information
Gods & Goddesses
Handle change
Doubt/security
Quotes
Movies
Confusing terms
Glossary
World's end
One true religion?
Seasonal topics
Science v. Religion
More info.

Spiritual/ethics
Spirituality
Morality/ethics
Absolute truth

Peace/conflict
Attaining peace
Religious tolerance
Religious hatred
Religious conflict
Religious violence

"Hot" topics
Very hot topics
Ten commandm'ts
Abortion
Assisted suicide
Cloning
Death penalty
Environment
Equal rights - gays & bi's
Gay marriage
Nudism
Origins of the species
Sex & gender
Sin
Spanking kids
Stem cells
Women-rights
Other topics

Laws and news
Religious laws
Religious news

Web site logo

MENU:

Emergency contraception (EC)
a.k.a. the "Morning After Pill"

horizontal rule

Sponsored link.

horizontal rule

Alert:

EC (emergency contraception), if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse will prevent a pregnancy from starting in about 90% of cases. However, some pharmacies refuse to stock this medication and some individual pharmacists refuse to dispense it on moral or religious grounds. Since there are so many hurdles that women may encounter while trying to obtain EC in some communities, those women who feel that they might need to obtain this medication in the future because of rape or contraceptive failure might wish to determine, in advance of need, the nearest pharmacy which will supply them with the medication. They might also wish to obtain a prescription from their physician, and perhaps even purchase the medication to have it on hand in case they need it. "The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has urged its members to offer prescriptions for emergency contraception during patients' regular checkups." 1 They repeated this warning on 2006-MAY-08 after the Bush administration refused to allow EC to be sold over the counter. 2

horizontal rule

Terms used:

EC (emergency contraception) has unfortunately become popularly known as "the morning after pill." This is a poor term. Many people believe that women have only a small interval of time to take the medication:

bulletSome people have concluded that a woman has to wait for many hours before taking the pill - perhaps until the next morning.
bulletOthers believe that the treatment is no longer effective if a woman waits past the next morning.

Neither is true. The medication can be taken immediately after unprotected intercourse, or at any time up to about 72 hours later. Some studies indicate that it is effective even later. However, its efficacy seems to be reduced as time passes, so it is important that, if it is going to be taken, that it be taken quickly.

horizontal rule

Sponsored link:

horizontal rule

Topics included in this section:

bulletInformation about EC (How it works, side effects, impact on abortion, safety, etc.)
 
bulletAwareness of, and access to, EC
bulletThe FDA approval process for EC
bulletDenial of service by WalMart
bulletAccess to EC and EC information in Roman Catholic Hospitals
bulletEC administered in Connecticut Catholic hospitals
bulletEC is available without prescription in Canada
bulletAttempts to deny students' access to EC in Wisconsin
bulletBill introduced in Congress to require pharmacists to dispense birth control & EC
 
bulletIs EC a form of birth control or an abortifacient?
 
bulletDoes EC reduce or increase the number of abortions?
 
bulletEC Developments:
bulletDuring 1998
bulletDuring 1999
bulletDuring 2000
bulletDuring 2001
bulletDuring 2002
bulletDuring 2003
bulletDuring 2004
bulletDuring 2005
bulletDuring 2006
bulletDuring 2007

horizontal rule

References used:

  1. Lawrence Morahan, " 'Morning-After' Pill Available at Some DoD Clinics," CNSNews.com, 2002-JUN-3, at: http://www.cnsnews.com/
  2. "Doctors: Have emergency birth control Rx on hand," Associated Press, 2006-MAY-08, at: http://www.cnn.com/

horizontal rule

Information sources:

bullet"Back up your birth control" campaign is a coalition uniting hundreds of national and local medical organizations and women’s health advocacy groups to promote EC awareness. See: http://www.backupyourbirthcontrol.org/
bulletFact sheets are online from the following medical organizations:
bullet American Medical Women’s Association
bullet Association for Reproductive Health Professionals
bullet Family Health International
bullet Planned Parenthood Federation of America
bulletPATH - Información clave sobre la Anticoncepción de Emergencia (Español)
bulletFact sheets are online from the following advocacy organizations:
bullet Advocates for Youth
bullet Advocates for Youth Teen pamphlet (English)
bullet Advocates for Youth Teen pamphlet (Español)
bullet Center for Reproductive Rights
bullet NARAL Pro-Choice America
bullet National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
bullet National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (English)
bullet National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (Español)
bullet Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
bulletA personal story:
bullet Dana L's difficulties obtaining EC and later abortion

horizontal rule

Site navigation:

Home > Abortion > Lowering rate > here

Home > "Hot" religious topics and conflicts > Abortion > Lowering rate > here

horizontal rule

Copyright © 1999 to 2007 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally published on 1999-JAN-13
Latest update: 2007-JUN-22
Author: B.A. Robinson

line.gif (538 bytes)

horizontal rule

Go to the previous page, or to the "Reducing the abortion rate" menu, or choose:

Google
Web ReligiousTolerance.org
Go to home page  We would really appreciate your help

E-mail us about errors, etc.  Purchase a CD of this web site

FreeFind search, lists of new essays...  Having problems printing our essays?