Care Net Applauds FDA Decision on 'Morning After Pill'

5/7/2004

From: Kristin Hansen of Care Net, 703-478-5661 ext. 31

STERLING, Va., May 7 -- Care Net President Kurt Entsminger applauded the decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Thursday to reject over-the-counter sales of the "morning-after pill" due to concern over teenagers' health.

"We are grateful that the FDA was able to see the forest for the trees in this highly-politicized issue involving women's health," Entsminger said. "Knowing that teenagers are the largest market for the drug, the FDA is right not to sacrifice the next generation of young people on the altar of reckless medical and social experimentation."

Entsminger said that Care Net, which supports a network of 750 pregnancy resource centers in North America, would continue to strongly oppose unregulated, unsupervised access to the "morning-after pill," a drug at least eight times the strength of the birth control pill. "Pregnancy resource centers offer women facing unplanned pregnancies comprehensive health information about their options and encourage them not to rush into such a critical decision," Entsminger said. "But marketers of the 'morning-after pill,' advertised as 'emergency contraception,' tell women, especially teenagers, to hurry-up and take this inadequately-tested, high-potency drug, when in reality many of these women may not even be pregnant." In January, Care Net led a nationwide grass roots postcard campaign calling on the FDA not to approve the drug for over-the-counter sales.

"When it comes to women's reproductive health, more emphasis is placed on whether a particular drug is 'effective' than if it's safe," Entsminger said. "We applaud the FDA for listening to the safety concerns about this drug, especially for young people. The staff at the more than 2,000 pregnancy resource centers across this nation are especially thankful. Day after day, they counsel young women and men who have found themselves with an unplanned pregnancy, or an ugly disease, or perhaps a broken heart from having sex at such a young age. From what history and research tell us, the 'morning-after pill' approach will only increase the traffic of hurting people coming through the doors of pregnancy centers looking for help. The FDA should hold its line -- no amount of studies or strategies will change the fact that the 'morning-after pill' is simply not the answer to teenage pregnancy."

In the premiere issue of its Center of Tomorrow journal, Care Net features a landmark article on the "morning-after pill" by Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America. Posted online at http://www.care-net.org, the article contains compelling research on the societal impact of allowing over-the-counter sales in other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia.