 "Photo: Photo illustration by Kim Espinosa/The Daily Texan")
Some state lawmakers are hoping to dispel common misconceptions about the emergency-contraceptive pill this session by helping women become better informed about it.
Emergency contraception, also known as the Plan B or the morning-after pill, has 12 times the level of hormones found in most birth control pills, said Guli Fager, a University Health Services health education coordinator. She said it inhibits ovulation by creating physical barriers so that sperm cells have a difficult time fertilizing the egg. The University Health Center sold 989 Plan B contraception packages last year.
“If your egg gets fertilized, Plan B can’t stop that,” said Sarah Watson, a healthy sexuality peer educator. “All it does is make it a hostile environment for sperm. If your egg has already been fertilized, you’re pregnant, and you’re screwed.”
Watson, an English junior, also said the pill is not an effective form of birth control because it is only intended for emergency use.
Obstetricians and gynecologists define a living fetus as a fertilized egg that has implanted into the uterus wall, but some organizations, including the Roman Catholic Church, believe that life begins when an egg is fertilized.
A bill authored by state Rep. Frank Corte Jr., R-San Antonio, would require pharmacists to tell women that an emergency contraception pill can block a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus wall, which may conflict with their moral beliefs. The bill would also require pharmacies to display signs with that information.
“Often times when it is prescribed, there is no detail [about] how the pill operates,” said Kathi Seay, Corte’s policy analyst.
A bill authored by state Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, would require clinics to offer information about emergency contraception to rape and incest victims.
Farrar said many women don’t realize that the Plan B pill is an option.
“[The bill] addresses rape victims so that they can better protect themselves and don’t have to worry about whether they are pregnant,” Farrar said. “I think there is a need for that awareness to reduce the number of abortions and unwanted pregnancies. It is a real injustice.”
She does not feel confident about the bill’s passage because Republicans outnumber the Democrats in the House. She also noted the opposition the bill faces from the Catholic Church.
Susan Fani, director of communications for the Catholic League, said that because her organization is in line with the Catholic Church’s values, it is opposed to the emergency-contraception pill.
“Making it mandatory for Catholic hospitals to dispense the pill would violate their rights,” Fani said.
She said that according to U.S. Bishops, in cases of rape, the patient has the option to take preventative measures before conception, but not Plan B.
“The evil of rape would be compounded with the evil of abortion,” Fani said.
Sarah Wheat, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood in Austin, said her organization supports Farrar’s bill.
The emergency-contraception pill is a safe and effective way to reduce the risk of pregnancy, according to Planned Parenthood, whose clinics offer the Plan B pill.
“There is a huge lack of awareness about what [the pill] is and how it works,” Wheat said. “It’s like if you don’t know about aspirin, you don’t know to take it when you have a headache.”
She said that a common misconception is to confuse emergency contraception with the abortion pill. She said the abortion pill causes the fetus to be aborted, while the Plan B pill prevents a pregnancy from occuring.
She said another common misconception arises because the pill is often referred to as the morning-after pill.
“Medical research has shown that the pill can work up to five days after unprotected sex,” Wheat said.
She said it can cause cramping and nausea, buti it is not risky and is basically the same as a high dosage of regular birth control.”
It’s intended to be a backup,” Wheat said.
Comparative costs of Plan B
• CVS Pharmacy $49.57
• Walgreens Pharmacy $41.99
• UT Health Services $39
• University of North Texas Student Health and Wellness Center $35
• Texas A&M University Student Health Services $31.50
• Louisiana State University Student Health Center $25
