Tufts community responds to new

Students must still wait to receive emergency contraceptive pills, heightening even further the sense of urgency which surrounds the notion of "emergency" contraceptives.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) postponed the approval of Plan B, a brand of emergency contraceptive, for sale over-the-counter in February. Conservative members in Congress lobbied that that Plan B would encourage sexual promiscuity, after an FDA advisory board recommended that Plan B be sold.

Last month, the FDA concluded that more research needed to be done on the drug's effect on 16- and 17-year-olds before allowing it to be sold. The FDA said that the postponement of the decision was not politically motivated.

Plan B is the only emergency contraceptive -- or "morning-after" pill -- seeking approval to be made available over-the-counter.

At Tufts, females, especially those who have had previous experience using the pill, support the measure.

"I can imagine that a lot of the anxiety I endured while I waited to have my prescription filled would have been alleviated if I had been able to simply walk to the nearest pharmacy and purchase the drug," one junior, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

Junior Natassia Pura agrees. "I believe the [morning-after] pill should be available over-the-counter; waiting for a prescription defeats the purpose of a fast emergency contraceptive," she said.

According to Health Services, emergency contraception is often provided to Tufts students. Even on Sundays, when Health Services is closed, a clinician is on call and can be reached through the Tufts Police from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"We gladly give it to students," Tufts Health Services Nurse Manager Kathy Savage said. "The sooner it is taken the more effective it is, and so the sooner it gets to the public the better."

"I think that it should be available as quickly as possible. If you need a prescription for it, by the time you are actually able to get in touch with your doctor and get the prescription, it may be too late," junior Emily Kaplan said.

The drug decreases in efficacy the longer one waits to take it, and doctors recommend using emergency contraceptives within five days of the sexual encounter. Because the drug is time-sensitive, health professionals support the change from prescription to over-the-counter access.

The FDA's decision to delay the over-the-counter sale of Plan B comes in the wake of a growing political debate around whether or not the pills should be made so readily available to the general public.

"I think what bothers a lot of conservatives is not just the increased promiscuity, it's that sex is removed from consequences, and hence, from responsibility," senior Travis Rumans said. "I think that they are rightly concerned with the decline of responsibility in this generation."

Some conservative lawmakers believe that allowing greater accessibility to the pill could lead to an increase in unsafe sex and sexually transmitted diseases, especially in teens.

Plan B proponents believe that wider access will prevent about half of the 3 million unplanned pregnancies that occur each year.

"This is not the abortion pill; it is a drug that is safe. It has very low side effects and hopefully it will lead to fewer abortions," Savage said.

Despite his personal beliefs, Rumans said that precautions may be necessary in today's society. "You might want society to conform to an ideal, but it's not hypocritical to have safeguards in place when they fail," Rumans said.

Savage expressed doubt regarding the extent of students' knowledge of the pill. "This is not the abortion pill; it is a drug that is safe. It has very low side effects and hopefully it will lead to fewer abortions," Savage said.

Emergency contraception pills are stocked in the Health Services Office and are available to students for $10. Students are able to purchase the pills directly from Health Services for up to five days after intercourse.

On December 16, 2003, members of the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs and Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committees voted 23-4 in favor of a measure to provide Plan B in a non-prescription setting.