Emergency Contraception Essay

Over the counter birth control pills have been a topic of discussion for many women. Some might say it would pose many risks such as not receiving medical checkups and not knowing the side effects of birth control pills. Others may see it as a helpful to women because of the convenience of accessing the pills and not having to take time to schedule appointments. Additionally, due to health care and insurance policies some women might not have an easy access to birth control pills but the cost should not be a factor. Although over the counter birth control would allow an easier access for women, there are reasons why a doctor’s visit and a prescription are required to receive birth control pills.

The subject of abortion has created some of the most controversial, social, and moral debates in United States history. On Jan. 22, 1973, in the case Roe Vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that it was a woman’s constitutional right to have an abortion during the first trimester of the pregnancy (The Ruling). Still other interest groups argue that human life begins at conception and having an abortion is murder to an unborn child. These opposing viewpoints create a delicate political and social debate in which the lives of unborn children are placed in the center. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the RU 486 “abortion pill”, citing that the “overall safety of the pill is excellent”(Food

Like the combination pills, there is another type of progestin-only birth control. The progestin-only implant is a rod no bigger than a match stick that is highly effective for up to three years. The rod is inserted under the skin in the arm by a healthcare professional. Although it’s very effective, the cost usually turns people off to this method. The rod usually costs anywhere between $400 and $800.

There are a couple types of abortions used, one form is medically. In this process you’re given various medications that are intended to end your pregnancy. Women that choose a medical abortion are willing to undergo a surgical abortion if the first one fails. The medical procedure has a success rate that ranges from 75-95%, with about 2-4% of failed abortions that require a surgical procedure. The process involves bleeding, often heavy just like a period, that must be differentiated from hemorrhage. No matter how much tissue that has passed, a woman must see a doctor to make sure the process is complete. There's a rare and serious

They also argue that since women want control over their own bodies that they need to start realizing that control should include preventing the risk of unwanted pregnancy by using contraception or just remaining abstinent. On the flip side, there are those who believe a woman should be able to do what they want with their own bodies, which would be aborting a baby if they felt that was the best for them. Pro-choice believers argue that in the case of rape or incest, forcing a woman made pregnant by this violent act would cause further psychological harm to the victim. Most of the time the woman is unaware she is pregnant in which the “morning after” pill would not be of any help. Like stated before, I am a firm believer in being pro-life, but since I am a smart, young woman, I have to weigh out every option given to me and then choose from there which is the best choice. I do not condone killing a baby by any means, but I have to be smart about the issue.

Women may have an abortion for a variety of reasons, but in general they choose abortion because a pregnancy at that time is in some way wrong for them. “Abortion is the removal of a fetus from the uterus before it is mature enough to live on its own” (Kuechler 1996). When this happens spontaneously we call it a miscarriage. Induced abortion is brought about deliberately by a medical procedure that ends pregnancy. Legal abortion, carried out by trained medical practitioners, is one of the most common and safest surgical procedures. “About 1.5 million American women choose to have induced abortions each year. Less than 1% of all abortion patients experience a major complication associated with the procedure” (Kuechler 1996).

Anti-abortion activists describe this very negatively, saying that people would use this for convenience – like another form of birth control. They argue that this is immoral for women to have an abortion so easily and frequently (Napikowski). There are multiple flaws in this argument. The first is that they are focusing on what would be a miniscule segment of the population to imply that a lot of women would frequently have abortions. Even if it did affect them, lifting restrictions on women’s reproductive rights does not make them yearn to have abortions. But it does not affect them, it affects the women who make that decision for themselves. Moreover, it is ultimately the individual states’ decision how they address and restrict abortion. The ERA’s website clearly states that the “presence or absence of a state ERA does not necessarily correlate with a state’s legal climate for reproductive rights”. Not surprisingly, this claim is like all the others – misrepresentative and

Most insurance in Iowa cover all types of birth control for women, but even without insurance the most expensive contraceptive pill is fifty dollars. Although birth control does alter the woman’s body in order to prevent conception, it is still less harmful than an abortion. Abortions can cause bleeding for up to thirty days. It also causes extreme cramping in the uterine area. Some women vomit violently for many days after receiving one, so not only is a life being taken, but the mother is also being harmed. By taking birth control, in an manner, the woman is taking a precautionary step to prevent pregnancy, but this decision only effects one person, the woman. The choice of life is never brought into question, if a life is never

There is a pill becoming readily available that would aid in reducing the amount of unwanted pregnancies. It is the "morning after pill" as it is being called. This pill can be used during the first three days after unprotected sexual intercourse to prevent the fertilization of an egg or the attachment of a fertilized egg to a woman's uterus. The question is not necessarily in the ethical issue of the pill itself. The problem or question lies in the issue of the pill being sold with or without a prescription. The measure would allow girls and women to obtain this medication, without a physician's visit or prescription and without parental consent regardless of the patient's age.

In addition, abortion is a major topic in America. Some people believe it is a woman’s right to decide on whether or not they want the pregnancy, and some believe that no matter what the view is it is considered murder. However, by placing emergency contraceptives on the shelf, as Nucatola states, this will ultimately lower the abortion rate. Let’s face it, everyone is human and everyone makes mistake, if doctors and pharmacist are able to come up with a solution to end unwanted pregnancies without performing abortion, would people be for it or against it? Unfortunately, although a solution was found, emergency

. One of the reasons why many scientists have chosen to define implantation as the beginning of pregnancy is because half of all zygotes do not survive beyond two weeks even if no action is taken to destroy them and so un-implanted zygotes are not considered necessarily viable (3). According to the Mayo Clinic, the morning-after pill prevents pregnancy from occurring because it does not terminate a developing zygote implanted on the uterine wall (1). According the American Bioethics Advisory Commission, preventing a zygote from implanting in the uterine lining, is technically abortion because life and pregnancy begin with conception (2). The American Heritage dictionary defines conception as the "formation of a viable zygote by the union of the male sperm and the female ovum; fertilization" (10). . Even this definition leaves room for interpretation about whether or not a zygote is viable, but for those who believe that every fertilized human egg is a human life, the debate here is identical to the debate over whether or not surgical abortion should be legal. It is a question of how human life is defined, when it begins, and under which circumstances, if any, it is permissible to end it. In polls, most Americans have demonstrated a preference for earlier abortions over later ones (7). For those who see more shades of gray in such matters, the question becomes, is the morning-after pill a better, more humane, and safer option, than

"We shouldn't have to remind people that when it comes to a woman's health, no politician should get to decide what's best for you." This was quoted by President Obama while he was attending a Planned Parenthood convention. The issues with abortion and birth control are a big problem in the United States. A major issue that was constantly debated about was the "morning after" pill also known as the Plan B pill or scientifically called RU-486. Questions arose like “is it harmful?” and the big question is, “what should be the minimum age a women should be able to get it?” Some people believe that the pill is another form of abortion. A real abortion happens when the individual is “under construction”, meaning that it is not a human just yet. Plan B is a way of preventing pregnancy and is to be taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. This is a safe way to prevent pregnancy and should therefore be allowed over the counter for women at

First, a mother is less likely to seek prenatal care during an unintended pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy health problems may go untreated, the mother may experience pregnancy related health problems such ectopic pregnancy and other maternal health problems (Reducing unintended, 2005).Second, the mother and family may experience psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. An unintended pregnancy can also prove to be harmful for the infant as well. In the first year, an infant is at high risk for low birth weight, abuse and death (Reducing unintended, 2005). As mentioned, many unintended pregnancies are terminated through abortion without regard to life. It is important for women of childbearing age to be aware of alternatives that will prevent unintended pregnancy. Emergency Contraception (EC) also known as the morning after pill is an alternative method used when birth control methods have failed to prevent unintended pregnancy.There are many people who support the morning after pill and many who are against the emergency contraceptive. According to the blog “A Night for Emergency Contraception”, the morning after pill is a good way to stay safe and have fun. Emergency contraception is now easier to take, one no longer has to take one pill then wait twelve hours to take another. It is now available over the counter in a one step formula. People of religious faith on the other hand are not in favor of this type of contraceptive. It seems they

The idea of Emergency Contraception is not a new to society, however it is still igniting many debates just as it did when it was first introduced to the United States. Emergency contraception continues to be a highly emotional and controversial issue, both for advocates who believe EC will lower the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions, and for opponents who believe that using EC amounts to an abortion. The controversy fueling this debate centers around one of the ways that emergency contraception works. Emergency contraception can prevent or delay ovulation, affect the movement of the egg or sperm: making them less likely to meet, it can also interfere with the fertilization process and prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.

vary by location but the main services include “Abortion; Birth Control; Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill); General Health Care; HIV Testing; LGBT Services; Men’s Health Care; Pregnancy Testing & Services; STD Testing Treatment & Vaccines; Women’s Health Care.” Of these services that clinics perform 41% is STI and STD treatment, 34% is contraception, 10% is cancer screening and prevention, 11% is classified as other Women’s Health Care services, 3% is abortion services and 1% is other services (Parenthood, 2015). Some clinics may offer in house abortion while others will only offer referral services depending on location. As they cannot allocate government funds to abortion, the client will usually have to pay the clinic up to 1,500$ for the procedure. Although PP’s main goal is reproductive health and family planning, these clinics are equipped for many other general health care services such as vaccination and blood cholesterol checking. Both paid medical and non-medical employees, as well as volunteers who perform an array of jobs usually staff clinics. For example, clinics that are often berated by groups of protestors will often employ volunteer escorts to assist the patient entering the building to make them feel safer. According to PP (2015), these US clinics service 2.8 million patients in 4.6 million clinical visits each year.