Plan B OTC?

Question

Does the Plan B drug abort a fertilized egg? If so why are the anti-abortion believers not in an uproar about this. I ask out of complete ignorance of how the OTC drug works.

I am pro-choice BTW mostly because the folks that are anti-abortion are the same folks that fight for lower taxes and less social programs for our children. For example, why would President Bush and the right wingers want WIC programs or Head Start Programs cut, (they have been cut) when these programs benefit the very children that they don't want aborted. Quite hyprocritical I think.

Many will say women should not have an abortion for any reason yet the conservative right wingers want their taxes cut to benefit themselves. I don't get it. Will someone please help me to understand?

Answer 1

Differences between the morning-after pill and the abortion pill, which are different drugs:

The morning-after pill prevents pregnancy but has no effect if a woman already is pregnant. Sold under the brand name Plan B, it's a higher-than-normal dose of a hormone found in regular birth-control pills and prevents ovulation or fertilization of an egg. It also may prevent the egg from implanting into the uterus, the medical definition of pregnancy, but recent research suggests that's not likely.

The abortion pill, RU-486 or Mifeprex, can terminate pregnancy up to 49 days after the beginning of the last menstrual cycle. It's a two-pill process. First is Mifeprex, which blocks production of a hormone required to sustain pregnancy. Then a second medicine, misoprostol, to cause contractions and finish the abortion.

The morning after pill is not abortion, I think a lot of people are getting it confused with the Mifeprex pill, which does cause an abortion. It takes time for the embryo to actually be concieved. The morning after pill prevents the sperm from ever coming into contact with the egg at all. If it never comes into contact, there is no life.

I am pro-life, but I don't see the Plan B pill as an abortion, because it's purpose is to totally prevent pregnancy in the first place. I don't believe that women should use this as a regular form of birth control, however. It is dangerous, because the pill has an extremely high dose of hormones, and it does not protect against STDs.

Answer 2

here is the definition of emergency contraceptives (which is what plan b is):
Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy after unprotected vaginal intercourse. It is also called "morning-after" contraception.

EC must be started up to 120 hours — five days — after unprotected intercourse to reduce the risk of pregnancy. The sooner it is started, the better. EC reduces the risk of pregnancy by 75–89 percent when the first dose is taken within 72 hours.

EC contains hormones found in birth control pills and prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation or fertilization. Theoretically, EC could also prevent implantation, but that has not been proven scientifically.

technically it doesn't "abort", it just prevents. but some could argue, whats the difference? you can read a little bit about how it works here: http://thewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com/2005/10/how-does-emergency-contraception-work.html

hope it helps a little bit. and by the way, plan b isn't otc yet. it's working it's way there.