Media Release 08.24.06

Access to Emergency Contraception Expanded
Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois Applauds FDA ruling, expresses concern about remaining limitations

Champaign, IL — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Barr Laboratories Plan B emergency contraception (EC) for over-the-counter sale.  Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois (PPECI) has strongly supported over-the-counter access to Plan B, and earlier this month hailed Gov. Blagojevich’s ruling requiring Illinois pharmacies to fill all prescriptions for EC and post information for pharmacy patients regarding their right to receive contraceptives.  Women 18 and older will soon be able to purchase Plan B without a prescription.  Prescriptions for Plan B, a high dose birth control pill, will still be available for those under the age limit. 

“We applaud the FDA for approving Plan B as an over-the-counter drug.  Access to this safe form of back-up birth control allows women to more easily and effectively protect themselves from unintended pregnancies,” said Karla Peterson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois.  “While this is a huge step in the right direction, we are disappointed that over-the-counter sales will have age limitations.  It is important for women of all ages, not just those older than 18, to have access to this resource, just as they do to other over-the-counter contraceptives.”

Research shows that over-the-counter access to emergency contraception does not increase or encourage sexual activity among teens, and better access to proven prevention methods like accurate sex education and emergency birth control are the best ways to reduce the alarming rate of teen pregnancy in this country. Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois will continue to do all it can to educate women of all ages about EC and help them access emergency contraception.

EC lowers the risk of pregnancy when started within 120 hours of unprotected intercourse.  Experts estimate that wide access to EC could prevent up to 1.5 million unintended pregnancies — and 800,000 abortions — a year.  The sooner EC is administered after unprotected intercourse, the better it works, making timely access critically important.  Studies show that women do not use EC as a regular method of birth control.

# # #

Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois provides services for more than 13,000 clients every year in seven locations in the area.  It is the number one provider of reproductive healthcare in downstate Illinois.