Plan B is Not the Abortion Pill
A point of clarification is in order.
Blackwell owns stock in Barr Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Plan B. Plan B is emergency contraception, not the abortion pill. The abortion pill is Mifeprex (RU486). These two pharmaceuticals have completely different modes of action.
Plan B is actually just a higher dose of the hormones in birth control pills. If taken before ovulation, Plan B will prevent the egg from releasing. IF ovulation and fertilization BOTH have occurred, Plan B will prevent implantation of a fertilized egg. If implantation has already occurred, probably nothing will happen and the pregnancy will continue as normal. The risks to the woman are about the same as those of birth control pills.
Plan B has been approved by the FDA as a prescription drug, and the current battle is concerning its over-the-counter (OTC) status. This is also the one that wacko pharmacists are refusing to dispense to women, thus interfering in the doctor-patient relationship.
Mifeprex is the abortion pill, and will abort a fetus up to 7 weeks, but some research supports the use of Mifeprex until 8 or 9 weeks. The use of Mifeprex requires the use of another medication, misoprostol, two days after taking Mifeprex. Mifeprex has caused fatal infections in several women.
Mifeprex is not popular among women. It is more expensive than a surgical abortion, takes longer than a surgical abortion, and causes many side effects. Most likely, the maternal deaths will prompt the FDA to reverse its approval.
Sorry for the long-winded explanation, but I want to emphasize the fact that PLAN B IS NOT THE ABORTION PILL!!!!
By Pro-Choice Republican
A point of clarification is in order.
Blackwell owns stock in Barr Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Plan B. Plan B is emergency contraception, not the abortion pill. The abortion pill is Mifeprex (RU486). These two pharmaceuticals have completely different modes of action.
Plan B is actually just a higher dose of the hormones in birth control pills. If taken before ovulation, Plan B will prevent the egg from releasing. IF ovulation and fertilization BOTH have occurred, Plan B will prevent implantation of a fertilized egg. If implantation has already occurred, probably nothing will happen and the pregnancy will continue as normal. The risks to the woman are about the same as those of birth control pills.
Plan B has been approved by the FDA as a prescription drug, and the current battle is concerning its over-the-counter (OTC) status. This is also the one that wacko pharmacists are refusing to dispense to women, thus interfering in the doctor-patient relationship.
Mifeprex is the abortion pill, and will abort a fetus up to 7 weeks, but some research supports the use of Mifeprex until 8 or 9 weeks. The use of Mifeprex requires the use of another medication, misoprostol, two days after taking Mifeprex. Mifeprex has caused fatal infections in several women.
Mifeprex is not popular among women. It is more expensive than a surgical abortion, takes longer than a surgical abortion, and causes many side effects. Most likely, the maternal deaths will prompt the FDA to reverse its approval.
Sorry for the long-winded explanation, but I want to emphasize the fact that PLAN B IS NOT THE ABORTION PILL!!!!
By Pro-Choice Republican
