A Bill to Ban Emergency Contraceptives in the United States of America

A bill to ban emergency contraceptives in the United States of America.

Section 1.

The prescribing, use and sale of any emergency contraceptive by anyone in the United States shall be deemed illegal.

Section 2.

Definitions:

The term "emergency contraceptive" shall be defined as:

(1) Any pill, drug or device that is intended to prevent or terminate a pregnancy.

(2) Any such pill, drug or device in (1) that is used post-coitally.

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Supporters of this bill such as antiabortion and abstinence advocates say they fear that use of any such emergency contraceptive "will lead to rampant sex among tweens and teens"(Elle 126). "A recent Scottish study found that giving women EC in advance did not appear to diminish abortion rates" (Elle 126). Many individual pharmacists have refused to fill prescriptions for such pills stating various reasons mainly religious beliefs. In February 2004, a Denton, Texas pharmacist refused to fill a rape survivor's prescription for emergency contraceptives, citing "religious convictions" (Planned). Some pharmacies have refused to carry the pill. Wal-Mart in the U.S. and Canada is probably the largest chain that has taken this stand (Tolerance). Supporters say it undermines the very concept of human rights. Some make it synonymous with euthanasia and say it violates right to life (Catholic). "Some nurses in Alabama's public health clinics have quit their jobs rather than administer the emergency contraception known as the morning-after pill. The nurses say they consider the drug to be the equivalent of abortion, and that goes against their beliefs" (NPR).

Opponents of this bill argue that lack of access might increase the number of abortions. They also pointed out that a University of Pittsburgh study of older teens fount that having emergency contraception on hand did not appear to increase the rate of unprotected sex (Elle 126). They believe the use of emergency