Legislature Debates Morning After Pill

Concord, N.H. – This past week the New Hampshire Legislature debated a bill that could greatly diminish the use of abortion as a form of birth control, placing more emphasis on ending pregnancy at the earliest stage. The bill titled SB484 establishes the Collaborative Practice for Emergency Contraception Act. Under this bill, a pharmacist may initiate emergency contraception drug therapy in accordance with procedures developed by the New Hampshire Pharmacy Board and a physician or other authorized prescriber who is acting within his or her scope of practice. Every pharmacist would also be given the choice to decide whether they want the responsibility or not.This bill has been an ongoing battle within the legislature for the past two years, as it was almost dropped by recommendation of the senate committee assigned to the bill. However, things took a dramatic turn when the bill was brought to the senate floor. The senate denied the request to drop the bill, and when it returned to the senate floor, it was passed with little debate. The House of Representatives is currently in committee, which is expected to have a recommendation brought to the house floor by April 29.The emergency contraceptive pills are essentially a double dose of the same hormones that can be found in basic birth control pills that safely prevent pregnancy. These “morning after” pills are most effective within 24 hours of intercourse, with a deteriorating chance of effectiveness for up to five days after intercourse.These pills work before a fertilized egg is able to implant on the uterine wall, preventing pregnancy all together, not aborting a fetus. According to Planned Parenthood, once a woman becomes pregnant, these pills neither help nor harm the woman or the fetus.According to information found within SB484, over 3.5 million unintended pregnancies occur in the United States each year, over half of which results from the failure of contraceptives or inadequate contraceptive techniques. The morning after pill is a highly cost-effective method of reducing unintended pregnancies. For many women, especially teenagers and college students, the $25-$35 emergency contraceptive may seem expensive, but when options such as abortion or raising a child come into play, the cost for such prevention is considerably miniscule. Abuse of emergency contraception will undoubtedly be discouraged by side-effects such as headache, fatigue, and nausea (Planned Parenthood).The availability of the morning after pill in pharmacies offers women a chance to correct what may be considered an accident by some. These pills also help victims of rape and incest in a timely and private manner, allowing them to take control as well as receive several counseling center information options. This avoids a situation where a woman is left with such options as abortion or birthing the child of her assaulter.Pharmacists would also be able to refer uninsured women who would come in for the pills to health-care providers, they could get contraceptive prescriptions in the future; all the time avoiding costly, unnecessary visits to the emergency room.According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit organization that researches reproductive issues, the increased availability of such emergency contraceptives would prevent an estimated 1.7 million unintended pregnancies and 800 thousand abortions each year. The SB484 Emergency Contraception Act has been proven to be safe, effective, and beneficial to the constituents of the state of New Hampshire. As Senator Petersen stated to the house sub-committee on Wednesday afternoon, “It is time for us to trust the young women of the state.”For further information regarding the progression of SB484, visit www.state.nh.us, or Planned Parenthood www.ppnne.org.