Media Center: Press Release

On behalf of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRCH) and their more than 6,500 members, I would like to thank Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, the chair of the Assembly Health Committee, and the Speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, in addition to each of the co-sponsors for bringing forth A0016, the Emergency Contraception Pharmacy Access bill. This legislation combines common sense, compassion, and, above all, medical appropriateness. The widespread use of emergency contraception (EC) has long been hampered by misinformation, a lack of awareness, and inaccessibility. The result has been countless, preventable unintended pregnancies. From a medical and public health standpoint, it is essential that EC be easily and widely available to the public.

PRCH strongly believes that emergency contraception is a critical aspect of comprehensive health care and should be accessible to all women: those who have experienced contraceptive failure, those who have had unprotected intercourse, and those who have been sexually assaulted. By allowing pharmacists to dispense EC directly, the care will be more readily available to women in need.

Physicians have long known about the safety and efficacy of emergency contraception. EC is nothing more than a double dose of birth control pills. It is NOT the abortion pill, RU-486 or mifepristone. EC is simply a high dosage of birth control. Accordingly, the hormones in EC—estrogen and progestin—avert pregnancy by preventing ovulation, fertilization or implantation. They do not work as an abortifacient. Additionally, EC cannot cause damage to a fetus. That is to say, a pregnant woman who takes EC will not lose the pregnancy nor will there be any harm to a developing fetus.

EC's safety record is such that Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health as well as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that it be made available over-the-counter. From a physician perspective, access to EC is critical, as timeliness is essential to efficacy. Because of the 120-hour window by which EC should be taken, it is imperative that women who have had unprotected intercourse be given EC as soon as possible. In other words, when the condom breaks, doctors want their patients to have the swiftest possible access to EC.

As physicians, we are trained to provide the best treatments available. Emergency contraception is a safe and effective means of preventing pregnancy. It should always be easily available to women in need. We look forward to working with the Speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, to ensure the swift enactment of this bill. The health of New York State women is at stake.

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