An agreement is needed on emergency contraception’s usage

The debate over opting for abortion has got murkier with over-the-counter access to the “morning-after pill” or “emergency contraception” (EC) as it is known. It is taken after sex, but before an embryo attaches itself to the womb.

Opinions, however, differ. Some say the pill helps abort a foetus while others claim that it only prevents unwanted pregnancies. The reality is that no one is sure. The disagreement depends on whether the pill is defined as a birth control or abortion device. In an interactive poll released in the US recently, 44 per cent supported over-the-counter access to the “morning-after abortion pill”.

One can’t dismiss the EC. Condoms can tear during sex, women can forget to take birth control pills, diaphragms can slip and rape and incest are on the rise. In fact, in the heat of the moment “people might not use condoms”. As one physician famously claims, “As people’s sex drive goes up, their IQ goes down.” So EC is here to stay. We just need to agree on its usage.

And for that, one needs to have campaigns promoting EC in the event of contraceptive failure or lack of use. The goal is to reduce accidental pregnancies and risky as well as illegal abortions. As far as access goes, there should be an age ceiling, beyond which over-the-counter access to the pill should be permitted.

Studies have showed that the pill is safe for use. Some claim that with EC here, women will stop taking the regular birth control pill. That’s a wrong notion. EC is much more expensive. It’s more inconvenient since each usage requires a trip to the doctor. These pills produce unpleasant side effects in comparison to other contraceptives. EC is also useless in preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

Some pro-life activists object to EC as they regard it as a potential abortifacient as it prevents the implantation of a fertilised ovum in the uterus. Actually for them life begins with conception and hence they project EC as an aid to abortion. Physicians, however, define pregnancy as beginning at implantation and EC can’t induce an abortion after implantation. So EC is not an abortifacient.

Usage of the pill with caution is acceptable, but an autocratic clamping down is not, simply because it takes away the right of women to regulate their fertility. Also, it is a last resort for a woman who has had unprotected sex. Rather than banning EC, women should be made aware of its after-effects and encouraged to use these pills judiciously .