Following a tumultuous three-year battle over women's reproductive rights, the federal Food and Drug Administration issued its controversial decision in late August to make emergency contraceptive pills available over the counter.
In a long-awaited judgment that was met with outrage from many conservatives, the FDA ruled adults over 18 years of age will be able to buy the hormonal contraceptive, also known as "Plan B," from any pharmacy in the nation by the year's end.
While anti-abortion activists called the decision dangerous to women's health, groups like Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin believe the expanded access marks a positive step toward improving basic health care.
"All the leading medical organizations … [are] happy with this decision because it provides one more tool to prevent unintended pregnancy," Nicole Safar, PPAWI public policy analyst, said.
But some conservative groups worry over the decision's possible counterproductive effects, maintaining Plan B's increased availability will end up promoting unprotected sex.
According to Wisconsin Right to Life Executive Director Barbara Lyons, over-the-counter access to emergency contraceptives could put women's lives in jeopardy, as pharmacists will not have to adhere to any legal restrictions.
"We're very concerned about the health of women who will be getting an overdose of the birth control pill with no medical supervision," Lyons said, adding that an overdose could be dangerous to women who smoke.
Other Plan B opponents have voiced similar concerns, citing a lack of any sort of prescriptive requirement or physician oversight as the beginning of a dangerous trend toward the drug's illegal usage.
Marc Tuttle, communications director for Pro-Life Wisconsin, said over-the-counter sales of Plan B might actually facilitate rape, as sexual predators exploit the hormonal contraceptives to "hide rape victims."
As both sides continue to argue over the possible ramifications of Plan B's expansion, each agreed health-care decisions should be less politicized.
Since the FDA first began its review of Plan B in 2003, special interest groups from both sides of the aisle have been applying pressure to the issue, prompting many critics to accuse the FDA of putting politics above science.
The FDA's Aug. 24 decision reverses its initial 2003 ruling that rejected Plan B for over-the-counter distribution. While pro-life groups say this new judgment is nothing more than the FDA's shameless rejection of science, others see the situation in a different light.
The controversial three-year-long decision-making process prompted Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager to join a lawsuit against the FDA earlier this year. The suit criticized the FDA for its delay in approving Plan B, charging that it reflects the administration's failure to respond to the needs of women.
"[T]he naysayers on this have focused their arguments on their own often religious beliefs of what is right and wrong," Lautenschlager said in an interview with The Badger Herald. "[F]rom our perspective, this isn't about one group of people forcing its beliefs onto the general population, but rather, it's about women having the opportunity to choose what's best for them."
