You may have heard earlier this week how
the FDA
has delayed approval of selling a "morning after"/"abortion" pill
over-the-counter (OTC).
Earlier tonight I wrote an impassioned treatise on why
this pill should never be sold over-the-counter. Then I crossed my
Rubicon. I went to news.google.com
in search of some good links for my article. As I read the articles
concerning the delay and read what this pill really is I found
I had been mislead by the media. I don't think this was intentional,
probably bad reporting due to time constraints.
What Does This Pill Really Do?
The main way in which I was mislead was by
misidentification of this pill as "the abortion pill." Absolutely
every story I saw referred to the pill in question as "the
so-called abortion pill." The problem is, the pill in question,
called "Plan B", is not
the abortion pill. The abortion pill, which apparently works by
inducing an abortion after pregnancy has occurred, is called RU-486.
Plan B is actually a super-strong dose of the same stuff in average
birth control pills, designed to stop ovulation so that no
pregnancy can occur. You can't abort something that hasn't
happened. Further, after pregnancy occurs, this pill apparently has
no effect.
The only reason some are trying to position
this as an abortion pill (as opposed to the abortion
pill-- a distinction most broadcast media missed) is because in
extremely rare instances an egg may become fertilized but fail
to attach to the uterine wall due to having taken this drug. Thus,
the egg is flushed out, and some-- who claim life begins at the
moment the sperm fertilizes the egg-- see that as a de facto
abortion.
Why the Pill Should Be Approved
You know what? I don't have a problem with
that. It's unfortunate that the abortion combatants on both sides
have politicized this into an abortion issue. It isn't. I've got news
for you: Not every fertilized egg successfully attaches to the uterus
anyway. It's a smoke screen. It's a moot point. Even in nature,
outside any scientific intervention, fertilization does not equal
birth. Therefore, I think it is extremely difficult to make the case
that abortion is occurring. As far as I am concerned, until that
fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterus, you do not have
a viable fetus. For example, in cases of ectopic
pregnancy where the egg attaches somewhere other than the
uterus it is not possible to successfully move that fetus. The
web sites I read said every case where movement to the uterus has
been tried has failed.
The Anti's Try a New Strategy
Since their anti-abortion strategy didn't
work and an FDA panel recommended Plan B be approved for OTC sales,
the anti side has shifted to a new tactic, claiming that Plan B could
be injurious to the health of teen girls, or that it will lead to
greater promiscuity and therefore even more pregnancies. A) If
uncounseled access by teen girls is really an issue, it shouldn't be
that difficult to put a "must be 18 to buy" restriction on the drug.
Also, education and packaging that stresses Plan B is not as
effective as regular contraceptives therefore pregnancy is more
likely than with other methods should go far in assuaging the
"increased promiscuity due to easy availability of contraceptives"
argument. 
This drug is already available OTC in more than 30 other
countries and I am sure the panel already took that data into
consideration before suggesting approval. C) It's another smoke
screen. This is still the anti-abortionists looking for some other in
so they can get their way. In their hearts they know damn well they
are still fighting this on the anti-abortion grounds which should not
be an issue.
An "Abortion Pill" That Prevents Abortions?
The people in favor of Plan B OTC sales
say that by preventing more unwanted pregnancies this pill would
actually lower the number of abortions. They are incredulous that the
anti-abortion side would be against something that helps their
cause. I think the pro-Plan B side is right. You can't have an
abortion or an abused, unwanted baby if no pregnancy ever
occurred.
The problem is that the more extreme factions
on both sides of the aisle won't budge an inch on anything
they see as Absolute Truth (and don't let the liberal mantra of
"absolute truth doesn't exist" fool you-- they are as convinced of
the ultimate truth of their platform, whatever it may be at the
moment, as the most dyed-in-the-wool fundamentalist is of his
Holy Scripture). While the conservatives see this as opening the door
to abortion, they ultimately don't like contraception or the
sex-outside-of-marriage they see it promoting. To them, stopping this
on anti-abortion grounds is just the tip of the iceberg. Even if it
would prevent abortions, to them it "promotes" too many other
vile things which lead, in their minds, to even more vile
things. The "it's black and white" thinking leads to the equally
juvenile "an inch is as good as a mile" thought process. If a thing
even hints at smelling like something they see as evil, they must
fight it to the death. That's why they can't accept it-- even if it
does have some desired results for them.
To me, it's better to have 10 accidental
"oops the egg didn't attach" sort-of "abortions" than 1000
real "suck the fetus to pieces" abortions. To the
anti-abortionist "even one is one too many." While I sympathize, it's
just not realistic.
Some Final Thoughts
Months ago when the FDA panel hearings
were going on to decide whether or not to recommend the drug for OTC
status, I absolutely could not understand why anyone would approve of
allowing the abortion pill be OTC. I was dumbfounded when it was
approved. Now I understand. It's not the abortion pill. The
media dropped the ball, so I've changed sides. I also have a
worthless article... unless some idiot decides to make the
actual abortion pill OTC. Then-- I'm loaded for bear!
Yours,
Gene Nash