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Emergency contraception (a.k.a. EC, ECP, "Morning After" Pill)
Developments during the year 2000
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Developments during 2000:
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2000-JAN-17: Britain: Pharmacies in the Greater Manchester area have
started a pilot plan to dispense free "morning-after" pills
without a prescriptions. The pharmacist will ask a series of
"thorough and complex questions." If they are not satisfied
with the answers, they will refer the woman to her physician. Valerie
Riches, director of Family and Youth Concern, said: "The
signal it's sending out is that it's perfectly okay to go out and have
sex anytime you like, and the state will pick up the pieces."
Tim Wyatt is a spokesperson for the Manchester,
Trafford and Salford Health Action Zone -- the group that is
organizing the project. He disagreed, saying: |
"It can't be used as a lazy form of contraception. It's not a
substitute. It's just a deeply practical and key service for those women
who face an emergency...We're being absolutely clear on this. It's not
an abortive. It is a contraceptive. It does not abort a pregnancy, it
prevents one." 1
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2000-JUN-8: Manitoba, Canada: The Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association voted
at their annual meeting to allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense
medication if they object to the use of the drug on moral grounds. In
addition, pharmacists will be not required to refer a woman to another
pharmacy. Although some state pharmaceutical associations have passed
similar regulations in the U.S., this is believed to be the first
instance in Canada. Emergency contraception is the only medication
that is expected to be affected. |
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2000-JUL-1: France: France's highest administrative court
vetoed the Education Ministry's plan to distribute the "morning
after" pill through the public school system. The rationale was to
reduce the rate of teenage unwanted pregnancies. The court decided
that it was illegal for school nurses to distribute the pill without a
prescription. The Roman Catholic church had criticized the plan
because they felt it would incite pupils to become sexually active
earlier. |
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2000-JUL-6: USA: Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) has sponsored an
amendment to the annual funding bill for the Labor, Health and
Human Services and the Education departments of the federal
government. It would allegedly prohibit the distribution of EC. It
would also prohibit distribution of RU-486 when it becomes otherwise
available. Stephanie Mollins, spokesperson for the Family Research
Council, said: "I don't even think parents would believe it if
they found out that, indeed, their children can receive chemical
abortions in their school." The first hurdle that the
amendment must pass is the review by the conference committee which is
led by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA). Senator Specter has a
pro-choice voting record. |
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2000-OCT-5: France: According to CWNews, the French
National Assembly passed legislation which would permit underage
women to receive the "morning after pill" in
pharmacies or from school nurses without a prescription. The bill will
be debated in the Senate later in October. |
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2000-OCT-5: Philippines: According to CWNews: The country's
Department of Health has recently registered levonorgestrel, for use
as a "morning after pill." |
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2000-OCT-26: British Columbia, Canada: According to Canadian
Press: Premier Ujjal Dosanjh of British Columbia announced that women
will be able to buy "morning after" pills from their
pharmacists without a prescription, starting 2000-DEC. He said "Too
many women for too long have been denied the use of emergency
contraception bills because they couldn't get them when they needed
them." However, the pills will continue to be unavailable at Wal-Mart
stores. |
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2000-NOV-2: Ontario, Canada: According to the Toronto Star,
Dr. Henry Morgentaler wrote to the Health Minister of Ontario asking
that pharmacists be allowed to dispense emergency contraception
without a doctor's prescription. He mentioned that it would be a major
convenience to women who need the pill during the weekend when doctors
are often unavailable, or who live in rural areas, or who are young
and afraid to ask their doctor. "Such a policy would decrease
the number of unintended pregnancies and the consequent need for
abortion, something most responsible people would applaud."
The Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Women's Health Council
both support facilitated distribution of the pill. |
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2000-NOV-3: USA: President vetoes bill: President Clinton
vetoed the bill which would have funded the operations of the federal
government. He had earlier reached an agreement with congressional
leaders. Clinton said: "We thought we had a good-faith
agreement, with honorable compromises on both sides. That was before
the special interests weighed in with the Republican leadership."
Jesse Helms (R-NC) had submitted an amendment to the bill that funds
the federal Labor, Health and Human Services and Education
departments. It would have banned the use of federal funds to allow
medical clinics in schools to distribute emergency contraception.
Congress will return on NOV-14 after the elections to continue
attempting to pass the bill. 2 |
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2000-DEC-9: USA: School-based clinics: The proposed annual
funding bill for the federal Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education departments has alarmed pro-life advocates. It is one of the
bills caught in the end-of-session, pre-Christmas rush. As it now
stands, it would increase funding for Planned Parenthood by
what they estimate to be $35 million. It might also not include an
amendment sponsored by Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) which would prevent
school-base clinics from dispensing emergency contraception to women
under 18 without their parent's consent. |
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2000-DEC-12: USA: AMA recommends over the counter status for
emergency contraception : The American Medical Association's
policy arm voted to recommend that the Food and Drug Administration
make emergency contraception available as an over-the-counter
medication. The vote was unanimous. Some pro-life groups define
pregnancy as beginning at conception, and thus regard emergency
contraception as a potential abortifacient. Teresa Wagner,
spokesperson for the Family Research Council, commented: "The
medical profession has basically sold out on the questions of abortion
and contraception." Dr. Richard Scheidt, spokesperson for the
Christian Medical and Dental Society, said "...it
trivializes [pregnancy]. It's something that if you don't want it you
take a pill and you're rid of it. My goodness, we're talking about
human life!" One negative result of making the medication
freely available is that it would deprive physicians the opportunity
to discuss disease and pregnancy protection with their patients. 3 |
Copyright © 2000 to 2007 by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2007-JUN-23
Author: B.A. Robinson
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