Access To Pills Is Limited

June 16, 1999|By Sharon Honaker. Compiled by Cassandra West.

Emergency oral contraceptives may be federally approved, but that doesn't mean they're easy for women to obtain. In fact, the pills, which prevent unwanted pregnancies, suffer from a public image that ranges from poor to non-existent, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration approved emergency oral contraception--a regimen of birth control pills that decreases the chances of becoming pregnant by 75 percent. Taken after unprotected sex, the pills inhibit ovulation, fertilization or implantation of the fertilized egg. Emergency contraception isn't an option for many women because their doctors aren't familiar with it. And when doctors do prescribe it, some pharmacists don't stock the drug because they too aren't aware of it or they consider it an abortion pill. Pointing out that emergency contraceptives prevent, rather than abort, pregnancies, the college is encouraging doctors and pharmacists to learn more about them.