The Obama administration has spent the better part of a decade fighting over the controversial morning-after birth control pill. The administration notched a loss in the fight on mandating operational processes in the contraception fight. They have since softened their stand on the issue with a restructured plan proposed to the officiating Judge in the case.
A New York Judge had issued an order to make the morning-after pills available with no restrictions. However, Women’s rights advocates argued in a letter to the judge the plan is ineffective due to limits on unrestricted sales to the more expensive Plan B one-pill version of the drug. The judge in the decree ruled the two-pill version must be made available also.
The Obama administration has agreed to withdraw an appeal of the decision if their proposed plan is accepted. It is uncertain if the new proposal will be accepted, consequently producers of the drug will need to re-apply for approval and re-packaging of the product for aisle sales if approved.
The medical community and reproductive rights supporters welcomed the decision. Many medical professionals are preparing for implementation measures designed to accommodate the shift in initiating the measure. Reproductive rights group view the shift as a win for the control of a female over issues related to her body.
“This is a game-changer,” said Judy Waxman of the National Women’s Law Center.
“The administration finally saw that it had nowhere left to go,” said Susannah Baruch, who heads the Reproductive Health Technologies Project. But, she added, “I don’t expect to see the product at the corner pharmacy immediately.”
The notched loss by the administration will serve to slow the process and impede measures for operational planning in the contraception fight. The law concerning the measure appears to be on the side of contraception supporters.
The American Academy of Pediatrics president Dr. Thomas McInerny stated, “For pediatricians, the science has always been clear: Emergency contraception is a safe, effective tool to prevent unintended pregnancy in adolescents of any reproductive age. Today, we are pleased that justice sided with science.”
Many parents are not comfortable with the idea of their young teens purchasing contraception let alone purchasing without parental knowledge. Leslie Kantor of Planned Parenthood Federation believes this starts the dialog between parents and young adults.
“Today is a really wonderful opportunity for parents to talk to teenagers about sex and sexuality, and make sure that young people know about the best ways to prevent pregnancy,” she said in an interview with NBC News.
The notched loss for the Obama administration comes at the end of accumulated political bickering and social upheaval of the initiative.
By Thomas Barr
Source 1 – http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/11/18
Source 2 – http://online.wsj.com/article
