To:  Jesse C. Vivian, PharmD, JD (from item in US Pharmacist Aug 2006; Intervention or Unwanted Intrusion?)
Re: the Plan B controversy

Womens' health:

From longer experience:
http://www.morningafterpill.org/bangkok.htm:   2002 article in Bangkok Post concerning usage patterns in Thailand.  The original article might more 'properly' be obtained from their archives when it recovers on Sept 10:http://archives.mybangkokpost.com/bkkarchives/frontstore/search_result.html?type=a&key=emergency%20pill&year=2006
but copies and quotes abound on the Internet.

See TR Raine et al, Direct Access to Emergency Contraception Through Pharmacies and Effect on Unintended Pregnancy and STIs, JAMA, 2005; 293:54-62, at www.jama.com.) The study demonstrates that ready availability of EC does not lead to a reduction in unintended pregnancies.

A study in Scotland with nearly 18,000 women given advance provision of EC demonstrated no decrease in abortion rate over a 28 month period. (See A Glaiser et al, Advanced Provision of Emergency Contraception Does Not Reduce Abortion Rates, Contraception 2004;69:361-366, at www.contraceptionjournal.org.

Girls' health:

"In the lawsuit filed in March 2005, the teen's family claimed the 21-year-old man who impregnated the girl took her to the clinic on Auburn Avenue and said he was her stepbrother.The clinic performed the abortion in March 2004 without notifying her parents, the lawsuit alleges." http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060622/NEWS01/606220396

Investigations in Kansas and Indiana:  http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/minors.html  .

The Albany, New York Pharmacists:

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=508756&category=REGION&newsdate=8/16/2006


Good Luck to you in attempting a neutral presentation.   I never bothered trying that, but today, I'm leaving out my comments--just for a change of pace.
;-)


KB


Karen L. Brauer  M.S., R.Ph

kbrauer@pfli.org
Pharmacists for Life International
http://www.pfli.org