On this photo, the PlanB one-stage emergency contraceptive is displayed on June 30, 2022 in San Anselmo, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty’s paintings
The Food and Drug Administration is changing the data packaging of the Plan B One-Step contraception pill to make it clear that it is not an abortion pill, the federal agency said on Friday.
Plan B is an over-the-counter drug that could be used as a backup approach to contraception to reduce the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex. If taken inside 72 hours of getting unprotected sex or contraceptive failure, Plan B works by stopping or delaying the discharge of an egg from the ovary, not by causing an abortion, the agency said.
“Plan B One-Step will not work if the person is already pregnant, meaning it will not affect an existing pregnancy” FDA said in release. “Evidence does not support that the drug affects implantation or the upkeep of pregnancy after implantation, due to this fact it does not terminate pregnancy.”
Until now, the packaging of Plan B and generic versions of the drug incorrectly claimed that taking the pill could prevent a fertilized egg from implanting. Medical professionals say this claim is not backed by scientific evidence, but has been placed on the label for over-the-counter plan B approval.
As such, the FDA has reviewed the package inserts of Plan B to reflect that it does not work after fertilization, the agency said.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in June, sparking a wave of concern over continued access to contraception and emergency contraception. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said the landmark Supreme Court rulings that established gay and contraception rights ought to be reconsidered because the federal abortion law was revoked.
Not less than eight states outlawed all types of abortion, including medical abortions using pills, inside hours of the supreme court’s decision.
The FDA stated that because plan B prevents pregnancy by acting on ovulation “well before implantation”, it does not cause abortion.
The agency recommends that buyers talk to their healthcare professionals about emergency contraceptives in order that they understand “the importance of using these products as intended.”