Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: October 1, 2006
OVER THE COUNTER ABORTION
Ben Justice
Just when things were looking a little better with regard to the abortion issue,
on August 24, 2006 the Food and Drug Administration approved Plan B, the
morning-after pill, as a non-prescription drug. In other words, this pill can be
purchased over the counter by anyone over 18 years of age.
What is Plan B or the morning-after pill? This pill is birth control for women.
However, it is more than a birth control pill. The pill can actually terminate a
pregnancy. Thus, if a woman had sexual relations with a man, she could take
the pill the morning after, even if she had conceived a child and thereby
terminate her pregnancy. The morning-after pill is a mega-dose of the regular
birth control pill. Again, this pill doesn’t even need a prescription, but can be
purchased over the counter. Here is the irony of this: Regular birth control pills
need a prescription and even doctor’s supervision, but the morning-after pill can
be purchased over the counter. How much since does that make? What is
amazing is that our otherwise good President on life issues supported this plan.
Now, we have “over the counter abortion.”
As one writer aptly noted, “providing Plan B over-the-counter is beyond the
pale.” Indeed it is. There are so many serious risks associated with such
stupidity. The negative consequences are great indeed. Note the following:
1.) Barr Laboratories, the drug company who manufacturers Plan-B, announced
that they have no intention of enforcing the age restriction. The President of
this company claims that he is confident that pharmacists would obey the law.
However, this drug can very easily fall into the hands of underage teenaged girls.
To suggest that the age restriction will be honored is laughable. Underage girls
will gain access to the drug, very easily.
2.) This is an invitation for disaster. An adult man could pressure underage
girls to have sexual relations with the promise of an easily accessible magic pill
to prevent or abort a pregnancy. And, guess what? The adult man, because he is
over 18, can purchase the over-the-counter drug and give it to the underage girl.
Not only that, but the pill could be slipped to women without their knowledge.
Rapists could rely on the drug to cover up their crimes.
3.) Sexually transmitted diseases will go up, because the drug encourages
multiple partners by endorsing frequent use of the drug. One report stated the
following:
Notably, a groundbreaking study in the United Kingdom released in April, 2004, found that “the
shift towards greater promotion of emergency birth control appears to have worsened the impact of
STI (sexually transmitted infection) rates since 2000.” In 2000, regulations were passed that made
it easier to dispense the morning-after pill without a doctor’s prescription and initiatives
introduced to promote the drug to young people.
The study concludes “it appears that some measures aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy
rates induced changes in teenage behavior that were large enough not only to negate the
intended impact on pregnancy rates but to have an adverse impact on another important area of
adolescent sexual health: sexually transmitted infections” (The Morning-After Pill, www.cwfa.
org).
4.) It is known that birth control pills can cause serious health problems for
women, such as blood clots, stroke, and heart disease. Many other risks could
be mentioned as well. This is why a physician’s prescribing and oversight of
birth control pills is important and necessary. But, not with the morning-after
pill, which, again, is a mega-dose of birth control. Such could spell disaster for
women, as far as their health goes (not to mention all the other things).
Who would ever think that abortion could be purchased over the counter?! As
can be expected, Pro-Life groups are outraged over this decision. This is just
another attempt to exploit, degrade, and endanger women. Of course, the liberal
feminists and other liberals (such as the ACLU) praise such action as liberating
for women. It is amazing how many in our world today call slavery liberation!