Emergency contraceptives or morning after pills are planning on taking a jump. From behind the counter at pharmacies to in front of the counter to join the likes of condoms, birth control pills, and other preventative measures to keep unwanted pregnancies at bay.
“Plan B is currently considered behind the counter which means if you're over 18 you're required to ask the pharmacist for it specifically you're not going to see it available like the cough drops.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that emergency contraception pills be available to teens, to help bring the teen pregnancy rate down.
“There's very little doubt that if we had a effective morning after treatment that the teen as well as the overall unwanted pregnancy rate would drop probably drop considerably,” said Kauffman.
Some maybe asking why move something so controversial to the front of the counter, the answer maybe more simple than you think.
“Many women are embarrassed to go to the pharmacist and ask for Plan B over the counter. We think that if Plan B was over the counter where it would be on the shelf, more women would use it,” said Kauffman.
The reason that Washington has stepped in, is that some politicians believed that the pills were causing miscarriages, but according to Dr. Kauffman the drugs are safe.
“It's been well studied and Plan B and related drugs are very, very safe in fact infinitely safer to take plan b than it is to get pregnant, the risk of look clots in the legs is tenfold higher for those women who are pregnant then those who do not get pregnant,” said Kauffman.
Little doubt is left in the mind of Kauffman that an effective treatment is the right way to go.
“There's very little doubt that if we had an effective morning after treatment that the teen as well as the unwanted pregnancy rate would drop considerably,” said Kauffman.
