Medical experts have developed a new morning after pill that claims to be better than any other emergency contraceptive pill.  It is called ellaOne.  The attraction: it works for 5 days! You can take the pill for up to five days after unprotected sex and it will work as well as if you took it the morning after.  Its leading competitor, Plan B, only works for up to 3 days after unprotected sex.  This could be the answer to many unwanted pregnancies.

Will EllaOne Be Available in the US?

However, as expected, it raises the ongoing abortion debate.  This new pill, ellaOne, delays ovulation and therefore inhibits conception.  It does so by preventing the progesterone hormone, a hormone that causes females to ovulate, from being released in the female body.  Conversely, those who are on the pro-life side of the debate claim that it is an abortion pill.  They believe that the pill does not prevent this hormone from being released.  Rather, the fact that it works for five days leads them to believe that it stops the fertilized egg from being implanted in the female’s uterus; therefore killing the fertilized egg.  This being the case, then they consider it an abortion.  If the pill was used the morning after, fertilization may not have taken place.  But, by the fifth day fertilization has taken place.  Nevertheless, some assert that the pill does both: it delays ovulation and prevents the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.  So the question is: how does it really work?

This debate has not stopped the pill from being released.  Medical experts find that there are more benefits to it than drawbacks.  No major side effects of the pill on women’s health have been found.  If you take the EllaOne Pill within this five day window, there is only a 1.8% chance of you becoming pregnant.  Whereas, with Plan B you have a 2.6% chance of becoming pregnant.

EllaOne is not yet available in the US.  There was a recent assembly in the US where the Federal advisory panel of medical experts met to discuss the potential sale of ellaOne in the US.  These 11 experts unanimously voted in approval of the emergency contraceptive pill.  Now, the FDA will take this vote into consideration as they decide whether or not to allow the sale of ellaOne in the US.  If the FDA approves the pill, it will be available in the US by prescription only; not over the counter.  However, you will need to check with your health insurance provider to see if this contraceptive pill is covered by your insurance plan.  This final decision by the FDA could take up to several months.  EllaOne is currently sold in France (where it originated) and Great Britain.

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Decided in 1973, the Roe v. Wade case forbade states from establishing laws that banned abortion.  It gave women the right to have an abortion in any US state up until their third trimester.  The ruling of this case has led to an ongoing abortion debate throughout the nation.  Anthony Kennedy, a Justice of the Supreme Court, is known for having a “swing vote” in many Supreme Court decisions.  However, people fear that a Republican President may choose to replace Kennedy.  Kennedy’s vote has always been important in the abortion cases.  If he were replaced, there is fear that Roe v. Wade may be overturned. This would allow states to enact laws against abortion at any point in the pregnancy if they so desire.

Supreme Court Nomination May Overturn on Roe v. Wade

If Roe v. Wade was overturned, the likelihood that we would see any variation in the amount of abortions in the US would be slim.  More problems may arise than would be solved in the event that Roe v. Wade was overturned.  If it was, there are about 20-25 states that would immediately enact laws against abortion.  This would make it more difficult for females to find a doctor offering abortion services.  However, it would not stop them from having abortions.  Females will either go to the states offering abortion services or find other means that are less safe and healthy than finding an available doctor.  Overturning Roe v. Wade would theoretically eliminate 170 doctors providing abortion services, which is less than 10% of all services available in the US.

Overturning Roe v. Wade will pose serious health and financial burdens.  As mentioned before, females will take more risky measures to have an abortion.  Those who decide to keep their baby are immediately faced with the high hospital costs and medical costs associated with having a baby.  Consequently, more women may consider taking contraceptives to prevent pregnancy in the first place.  However, this too can be expensive because many health insurance plans do not cover contraceptives.  If they do offer coverage, there is often a high out-of-pocket charge for the contraceptive prescription.  Also, there are very few health insurance companies that offer abortion coverage (most are private insurance companies).  It is likely that these health insurance companies will establish much higher costs in the states that would choose to allow abortion after overturning Roe v. Wade.

The replacement of Anthony Kennedy is not an immediate concern, but it is a possibility in the near future.  Kennedy’s retirement should not be in question because he is not likely to retire soon.  The only imminent threat to his position would be a Republican president, who may choose to replace Kennedy with a candidate who opposes abortion.  This decision, however, would have many repercussions and may not solve any abortion issues.