As the "morning-after' pill proves more popular than either its
proponents or its hypocritical, anti-science, conservative, right-wing
religionist critics could have imagined, U.S. women age 18 and older
are enjoying freer  access to birth control and avoidance of unwanted
pregnancies.

21st century science!

Lacking rational verbal ammunition in opposition to what many are
calling "A New Freedom Of Birth," anti-abortionists and anti-adult-
stem-cell research-boobs doubtless are thinking --- if not saying
publicly -- "Do I have to go out and shoot these druggists who are
selling them devil-pills?"

Actually, out in the benighted Bible Belt and other lands of the
ignorant, including those of Pope-huggin' Catholics, many pharmacists
who believe in a wrathful and spiteful god and that the Bible preaches
against birth control and other foolish notions --  are refusing to
sell the pills.

But with Plan B out of the bottle, women have climbed another rung of
freedom!

------------------
"Plan B Use Surges, And So Does Controversy"

By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2007; A01

The popularity of the morning-after pill Plan B has surged in the year
since the federal government approved the sale of the controversial
emergency contraceptive without a prescription.

Plan B sales have doubled since the Food and Drug Administration
authorized the switch for women 18 and older last August, rising from
about $40 million a year to what will probably be close to $80 million
for 2007, according to Barr Pharmaceuticals, which makes Plan B.

The sharp rise was hailed by women's health and family-planning
advocates, who say it illustrates the value of easing access to birth
control to help prevent unwanted pregnancies.

"This is exactly what we hoped would happen," said Susan F. Wood of
the George Washington University School of Public Health. As assistant
commissioner for women's health and director of the Office of Women's
Health at the FDA, Wood pushed for the switch. "What we're seeing is
women who needed this product now finally having access to it. For a
woman in that position, it can make a real difference in her life."

But conservative groups that fought the change say they are disturbed
by the surging use.

"This is very concerning," said Charmaine Yoest of the Family Research
Council, which is among several groups suing the FDA to reverse the
decision. "We think this is putting women's health at risk."

Plan B consists of higher doses of the hormones found in standard
birth control pills. Taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, Plan B
has been shown to be highly effective at preventing pregnancies.

With strong support from women's health groups and family-planning
advocates, Barr asked the FDA to allow Plan B's sale without a
prescription so women would not have to overcome the obstacle of
getting a doctor's permission before they could get the drug.

Conservative members of Congress and advocacy groups strongly opposed
the move. They questioned the drug's safety and argued that easier
availability could encourage sexual activity and make it easier for
men to have sex with underage girls. They also maintain the pill can
cause the equivalent of an abortion.

The FDA delayed the move for three years despite endorsements by the
agency's outside advisers and internal reviewers, leading to intense
criticism that the agency was allowing politics to influence the
decision.

The Aug. 25 ruling that finally permitted the change was criticized
both by conservatives and by proponents, who were disappointed that
the agency limited the easier availability to women 18 and older. The
agency said there was too little safety data to approve the drug for
teenagers younger than 18. The requirement means women must show proof
of their age, which could make it more difficult for some women, such
as illegal immigrants, to obtain the pill.

"There's no medical basis for restricting teenagers' access to
emergency contraception," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center
for Reproductive Rights in New York, which is suing the FDA to remove
the age restriction. "This not about morality, it's about public
health and cutting America's alarmingly high teenage pregnancy rates."

Advocates attribute the increased use despite the limitation both to
the easier access and greater awareness of the drug's availability due
to educational campaigns by family-planning advocates and media
coverage of the controversy.

At the same time, Barr has been advertising Plan B in women's
magazines and trying to educate pharmacists about the drug. More than
54,000 pharmacists have completed an online training program about
Plan B.

"The impetus for us wanting Plan B to be made available over the
counter was to increase women's access to the product. Even with this
interim step, it appears that has enabled more women to have access,"
said Amy Niemann, Barr's senior vice president of proprietary
marketing. "That's the good news."

The company would not release the actual number of units being sold
for Plan B, which retails for about $50.

Sarah, 27, a school counselor who lives in the District, was glad she
did not need a prescription after the condom her boyfriend was using
came off last month.

"I just went to the pharmacy, and it was so easy," she said, asking
that her last name not be used. "It's a really good option."

Despite the change, Plan B remains the focus of intense debate,
particularly over whether pharmacists who oppose its use on moral
grounds should be required to provide it and whether Catholic
hospitals should be required to provide women with either information
about the drug or the medication itself.

Several states have passed laws either requiring pharmacists to
provide Plan B or protecting those who refuse. Fourteen states now
require hospitals to provide women with information about emergency
contraception or the medication. At least 19 other states are
considering legislation, and a bill was recently introduced in
Congress that would require pharmacies to make sure women get access
to all forms of birth control, including Plan B.

Surveys and anecdotal reports indicate that some pharmacies refuse to
stock the drug, some pharmacists refuse to provide it to women and
some pharmacy workers mistakenly believe only the pharmacist can
dispense the drug.

"Even though it's now available without a prescription, there are
still significant obstacles that customers are facing around the
country," said Ted Miller of NARAL Pro-Choice America, which has been
surveying pharmacies around the country. "The over-the-counter access
is not a cure-all."

Tashina Byrd, 24, said she was turned away by a pharmacist in
Springfield, Ohio, in January after her fiance's condom broke and she
tried to buy Plan B.

"He just laughed and told the attendant to tell me no one would give
it to me," Byrd said. "I was enraged and humiliated."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071202146.html